Revival
by clovestraddle
Summary: This is the sequel to the fanfic 'District 13'. It's on my page so please read that FIRST or message me for the summary.
1. In Pursuit

Revival

**Chapter 1: In Pursuit **

Bianca sat on top of an icy gray table, motionless and quiet. The cup of tea she had between her palms had gone cold, and her hair was a mess over her face. She appeared as she always did. Sullen and empty. Her flare had left long ago. As she stared out the window into the darkness of the night, she sighed heavily. It'd been six months. Six months of this. Six months of sneaking in and sitting on that same table every Saturday and Sunday night and staring out the window. Six months of waiting. Hurting. Draining. She was more tired than anyone could ever imagine. Cato was standing at the far end of the room with the broken portal resting on a wider table. Tools were sprawled out over the chairs and floor. For six months Bianca listened to him grunt and wheeze, while metal beneath him twisted or fell apart. When he dismantled the portal all those months ago, it destroyed itself. Thousands of small knobs, nuts and bolts remained to be tucked back into place and mended. Thousands. Nobody on Earth could understand the mechanics of Panem. And Cato wasn't from District 3. He was working like a madman and he wasn't even sure why he bothered. Cato wiped a bead of sweat from his rippling forehead and stared at it again. For a moment, he expected something to happen. Anything. But nothing did. Silence filled the room again as Bianca tilted her head to look at the time on her phone. It was almost midnight. She turned back to Cato who caught her glance and knew just what she was about to say. He shook his head, not wanting to hear it.

"Almost had it." He grumbled.

"Come on. Give it a rest." Bianca said when she slid off the table and placed her cold tea on the edge. Cato ran his fingers through his hair before tugging it in frustration. "Cato." Bianca began, not having a very good vibe about what was to come. Cato slammed his hand on the table, tools and all.

"I thought I had it!" He shouted suddenly, making Bianca jump.

"Well, maybe you just – "

"No! No more of that 'maybe' stuff, Bianca!" He bellowed past her. Cato kicked the table, grunting as he did so. "It's been six months and I'm tired!"

"We're both tired!" Bianca shot back. "Do you think I enjoy this? Do you think this is fun for me?" She asked, stepping closer to him. Cato swallowed hard, shaking his head. "Yeah! It's not! Now are you going to calm down so that we can go home?" She grumbled, so close to slapping him senseless. Cato's jaw tightened but nothing came out. Instead, he turned away and nods, setting his working tools down cautiously. "Good." Bianca sighed, relieved that the short-lived yelling was over. The two of them swerved into the bathroom nearby. Bianca leaned against the wall and watched as Cato turns on the tap. He quickly put his hands in the sink, letting the cold-water splash over his open sores and cuts. He winced and cursed under his breath. "Slowly." Bianca reminded him.

"I know." He snapped back. Bianca sighed and retrieved the first aid kit placed specifically by the sink for Cato's use. The first aid kit was stolen from the nurse's office at school. Though Bianca was never too keen on sneaking into school every Saturday and Sunday night to fix the portal, it did have its advantages.

"We can't get mad at each other anymore, Cato. You know that. We've gone through two months without a single argument. It doesn't feel right when we're angry at each other. Okay?" Bianca said soothingly.

"I know." Cato repeated in a softer voice. There was a knot in his throat that he was trying to get rid of. Bianca sighed again, watching him run the water over his wounds.

"We did a lot to get to where we are and we're not falling apart now. Not when we're so close. I can feel it." She said, trying to sound as hopeful as she could. Cato clogged the sink and rested his hands in the water, biting his lower lip. He grinned to himself as memories began to flood his mind.

"Remember how we explored the entire school within the first two months when we started sneaking in to fix the portal?" He murmured softly. Bianca grinned as well.

"Well, we had to. It was the only way we could get used to each other." She admitted. Cato chuckled slightly, nodding.

"Yeah, true." They both knew that the hugs they shared on the day the portal broke were of sympathy and loneliness, not of friendship. But ever since that day Bianca became distant. She rarely spoke to anyone now unless it was Cato. Nobody could understand the nightmares that kept them up every night. The images that were horrific enough to shock them awake in their beds screaming in terror. The hysteria from the games that followed them wherever they went. The slaughter, torture and suffering. Bianca covered Cato's hands in a towel, dabbing his wounds dry. This was a routine they mastered. After the fourth month they realized that all they had is each other, nothing more and nothing less. Bianca cleaned and wrapped up his wounds and then they were out. Lights off, doors shut, out into the cold. Six months of nothing but failure and hopelessness. As they left they went across the school's lawn. It wasn't their regular route home but it was that night. Bianca hated passing that place. More than any other place in the world. She was never entirely sure why she hated it so much until her eyes fell upon the grass every time. There was a memorial for them there. For all of them. Even JT's had been moved over. Bianca couldn't help herself, and stopped in front of it. She sighed heavily as her eyes began to sting again. Cato came up behind her and tried to remain emotionless, scanning over the memorial and the headstones before them.

_Maya Matlin. 1997-2012. A daughter, sister, friend, musician and evident healer. The sunshine and sense of Degrassi halls. Taken too young. We are forever aimless without your passion. R.I.P._

_Owen Milligan. 1994-2012. The two-sided savior, leaving us with nothing but fresh, fond memories. The one who was kindest to the core. Much loved. R.I.P._

_Clove Poynter. 1995-2012. The misunderstood, unknown star-crossed lover who was raised to kill and born to die. You shall never be remembered as a monster by choice. Never. R.I.P._

_Adam Torres. 1995-2012. The boy on fire with a heavy heart of gold. Your actions will never be forgotten. You will never be forgotten. You are the bravest warrior any world has seen. R.I.P._

Bianca shook her head in anguish and turned to leave fast. She hated that there was one for Adam. She was disgusted to know that enough people had given up on finding him to set up a memorial for him. Cato caught up with her on the sidewalk and rubbed his watery eyes. They wordlessly decided to take a cab back home, seeing as the DeSousas now lived closer to where Cato does. Cato stayed with the Torres family. They had taken him in like a brother after seeing what he did to save Adam in the arena. He was having trouble getting used to the new world and the way things worked, even after six months. They still had access to Panem television, but no one dared to check. They weren't allowed. Once the cab had skidded to a halt, Cato marched out into the snow and pulled the door open for Bianca. They stepped onto the pavement and stared up at the Torres house, breath visible in the cold air.

"I'll see you when I see you." Cato said. Bianca looked up at his face, and saw how red his eyes still were from passing the memorial. He still hadn't let go of her, Clove.

"See you when I see you." Bianca repeated softly. She pulled Cato into a hug and rested against him for a moment. They were all they had. The only friends left. Bianca pulled away, knowing how Cato got about physical contact. She wasn't even sure why she trusted him, after the way he treated her in the arena. But she did anyway. He was the only friend she could afford to have. "Bye." Is all she muttered before turning down the road to her house. Cato stormed down the Torres driveway and took out his set of house keys. He was upstairs and in the guest bedroom, now his, in no time. Another Saturday had gone by with the same routine. Same reaction. Same outcome. Nothing was different. Nothing was achieved. Cato awoke near four o'clock, unable to take the nightmare anymore. All he dreamt of that night was the death of Clove, repeated and repeated over and over until he screamed himself awake. He sat up as the blue morning light crept through the curtains and into his room. He stared at the floor, thinking hard about the portal. Something washed over him. A thought. Something from earlier. His eyes widened when he thought this could be it. That he'd figured out how to fix it. But he'd had this feeling before. All too many times. So he sank back into his bed, curling up into the sheets, falling asleep to the echo of Clove screaming for help.

On Panem.

Peeta tossed his boots to the side of his bed and groaned. His feet were sore and his so was his body. He sighed heavily and plopped down onto his bed, staring up at the wall where the portal was perfectly assembled. There wasn't a single flaw in it. On the train back to District 12 from the Capitol, a worker from District 3 snuck into one of the compartments. Instead of calling him out, Haymitch ordered him to fix the portal for them, seeing as the portal was made by Seneca and workers from District 3 anyway. He fixed it within three months, no problem, and was off. The Peacekeepers killed him on his trip back to District 3. He was tortured for a week and starved, before taking a bullet to his temple. He never mentioned the presence of Haymitch, Cinna, Effie, Katniss or Peeta in District 12. Not even once. But President Snow knew just where they were. In fact, he already announced to Panem that they were safe, and would not be charged. Both Katniss and Peeta knew this is one of his filthy tricks. Consumed with thought, Peeta folded his arms and ran his tongue against the inside of his lip. He stood suddenly and moved toward the portal. He reached down and pulled the lever. He did this once or twice a day, just in case. Per usual, nothing happened but a sizzle. He pushed the lever down with defeat in his eyes, and backed away to his bed. He stared at the floor before running his hand over his face and groaning.

"Hey." Came a voice from his doorway. He looked up to see Katniss, with a metal container in her hands. Peeta smiled briefly. She hadn't showed up at his house in weeks, maybe even a month or more. He saw her around, though, with Gale, Madge and Prim.

"You're looking beautiful." He said. Katniss barely returned a grin before taking a seat next to him.

"You say that every time I walk in, you know."

"I know." Katniss handed Peeta the container carefully. It was quite large and heavy. He took a peek inside and grinned up at her.

"Are you sure you don't want to eat this?" He asked.

"I'm sure. Gale and I have been hunting a lot better now that we don't have Madge hanging around so often." Katniss shrugged. Peeta looked up at her with confusion on his face.

"Madge went hunting with you?"

"Last month she started tagging along for Gale. She can't hunt even if she tries so I told her to save the flirting for some other time." Katniss explained.

"Oh." Peeta nodded, taking a look at Katniss's kills. "This is really generous of you, Katniss." He said. He had a look of thankfulness and hunger in his eyes when he shut the container. "But… why're you giving this to me? You could easily just share it between you, your mother and Prim. I haven't spoken to you in awhile. Is everything all right? Do you need anything?" Peeta asked, setting the container on his bedside table before peering at Katniss.

"Just a place to sleep." She said. Peeta raised an eyebrow.

"A place to sleep?"

"The nightmares, Peeta. They're getting worse. I keep seeing all of them." Katniss said softly, fumbling with the sleeves of her jacket.

"I know. I still have them, too. I haven't mentioned them in awhile because I thought it'd set you off." Peeta muttered. Katniss nodded to herself as a chill washed over her, filled with memories from the games.

"Sometimes I feel like I never left the arena. Like my mind's going to be there for the rest of my life. With Rue and Clove and that Foxface girl. With everyone, actually." Katniss mumbled. She felt the warmth of Peeta's arm close around her waist. "You know what I mean?" She asked as he pulled himself closer to her.

"I know." He said in return, nodding. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. They hadn't kissed in months. It hadn't been easy for them. Both didn't know whether or not Katniss's love during the games was real or fake. Katniss leaned forward when she noticed the portal.

"Have you been trying it again?" She asked. Peeta's eyes widened, as if he was caught in the act. He shook his head but Katniss knew he was lying. Katniss sighed and stared into the portal. "They'll do it." She said suddenly. Peeta glanced at her. "They'll fix it. It's been six months. Cato can do it. I know he can. Any second now." She said with confidence. Peeta saw the eagerness on her face and how firm her voice was. She had faith in the rumors going around about what was happening in the Capitol. News arrived a few months earlier that Adam was still under captivity. He was forced to do a Victory Tour through all the Districts. He looked happy then. By force, perhaps. Though Panem was been informed of his return to District 13, Effie claimed that Adam was still being held hostage along with a few other past victors from the games. Apparently they were being prepped for the 75th Hunger Games. Also known this year as the Quarter Quell. Snow had apparently kept a selected few and was trying to turn them Careers. But it wasn't like normal training. No, it was torture endurance. After all, becoming a Career takes years. And they were trying to transform them within months. Katniss dreaded the idea of Adam suffering. Screaming until he lost his voice. Vomiting until there was nothing left in his stomach. Training until he had no more energy to breathe. Being whipped and burned until his flesh was beyond repair. Being pumped so full of Capitol drugs until he couldn't recognize who he was. It pained her to think about it. But it was better than believing that Adam was executed on President Snow's orders. Katniss knew she was heading back to the arena, and so did Peeta. They hadn't even made an appearance but they were already reaped. Along with Cato, Bianca and Adam. Haymitch was right about the theme. They were picking old winners and tossing them in. Some said that the results were rigged.

"Katniss." Peeta said, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was only now when Katniss realized there were tears silently streaming down her face. She wiped them away shakily.

"Sorry. Sorry, I was just…" She trailed off when Peeta pulled her into his chest. She thudded against him and they sunk into his bed.

"No more nightmares tonight, I promise." He said. Peeta pulled the thin blanket over them and let Katniss curl against him. For once, they both had a long, nightmare-free sleep.

In Toronto.

Cato cursed loudly as he snapped away from the portal. He swatted his stinging hand around as crimson spurted from a new wound at his fingertip.

"Damn it!" He uttered, dabbing his finger on a nearby dirty cloth. Bianca was late. But then again, Cato was earlier than usual. He had ideas running through his mind about the portal. He had memorized every inch of it and every fault. He pulled parts of it out and tweaked other areas. He was working faster, high off adrenaline. Tools dropped carelessly to the floor as he stormed through his vision from earlier. There was a creak in the doorway that made him jump.

"You're early." Bianca said. Cato licked his lips and returned to the portal. Bianca's eyes widened when she saw how quickly he was working tonight, not even stopping to make a quizzical look or bite the inside of his cheek.

"No. You're late." Cato stated. Bianca shut the door, watching him carefully. His shirt was off and was sprawled out on the floor. He was glazed in a layer of sweat and his brow wa furrowed with concentration. There wa a pencil behind his ear and grease over his arms.

"Cato?" Bianca asked, setting her things down on the table.

"Uh-huh?" He murmured, taking the pencil out from behind his ear. He crossed out something on a pad of paper and put the pencil back again.

"Are you…?"

"Onto something." He breathed, looking up at her. Bianca's eyes widened.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Positive." He said, hauling a larger chunk of metal out from the portal. "This isn't like the other times, Bee, I'm sure about it." Bianca pulled her scarf off, tossing it at her other pile of belongings.

"Cato, how many times have we had this conversation?"

"Many." Cato responded huskily. He flicked all kinds of switches and twisted knobs until his fingers stung. He glanced up at Bianca. "But I swear, this is different, and I can't believe I never thought of it." He scrambled through a pile of scrap metal on the edge of the table, knocking whatever he didn't need onto the floor.

"Jesus, Cato…" Bianca frowned, folding her arms as she watched him. He found what he was looking for and placed the small piece near the head of the portal, trying to force it into its place. Bianca sighed as she leaned against the table, shaking her head slightly. "Man, you're really – " The piece slotted in and a low metallic hum buzzed through he cold air. Both Cato and Bianca's eyes widened as they stared at the portal. Bianca stumbled away from the table, rushing towards him. She grabbed one side and he grabbed the other.

"Wall." He said simply. They hauled the portal off the table and shuffled it to the far end of the room. Cato grunted as he pressed it to the wall and scurried to the bottom of it. Bianca fixed the top, making sure it was planted firmly. After a series of strapping the portal upright, Bianca backed away. Cato looked at her as she pulled her jacket off, growing too warm for comfort.

"Cato, the lever." Bianca told him. He dropped in front of it, and searched for the lever on the side. His fingers found it, and he pulled up. It clicked and the humming noise began again, louder than before. He grabbed his shirt off the floor and put it on. He then waited in front of the portal, on his knees, expecting the white light to come bursting out from the doorframe. They waited in silence. Nothing happened, yet neither of them said a word.

Katniss jolted upright at the sound of a loud tick and a crunch. She was sitting on a chair in the corner of Peeta's room, cleaning her bow. Her eyes sharpened as she glanced up at Peeta. He was on his bed, with a book clutched in his hands and a furrowed brow. His room, bright with the afternoon sunshine, filled with tension.

"What was that?" Katniss asked.

"I don't know." Peeta said. The noise repeated itself and was followed with a loud hum from the wall. They both glared in the direction of the noise and their eyes widened.

"The portal." Peeta gulped hard and shut his book. He stood to his feet and tossed the book at his bed. "Katniss, the portal!" He shouted, shocking her into reality. Katniss quickly set the bow down and rushed to Peeta's side. They both stood in front of the portal, staring at it as the humming noise increased.

"Maybe they've activated it." Katniss breathed.

"Maybe." Peeta repeated, feeling the side of the portal for the lever. His hand wrapped around it suddenly and he paused, consumed by the thought of failure.

"What are you waiting for? Pull it!" Katniss snapped. Peeta bit his bottom lip and pulled the lever up. The noise that occurred next sent both Katniss and Peeta off their feet for a moment. It was almost like a gunshot. And suddenly, the doorframe cracked with a bright light.

"Cato!" Bianca screeched when the light shone into the room. Cato's entire face lifted as the hum deepened.

"It's working!" He shouted, glancing at her.

"You did! Cato, you did it! It's working! It's actually working!" She exclaimed. Cato's ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at his creation. They were both laughing in relief. Laughing, crying, breathing heavily. And suddenly, something washed over Cato's face. Realization.

"Bianca." He breathed, looking back at the girl with her hands over her wide grin and teary eyes. "We're going back." He said. It was like the idea never dawned on them when their eyes met again. Bianca stared up at him and gulped hard.

"We're going back." She repeated firmer, turning away from him to her belongings. "Cato, grab all that you need, we're going back!" She ordered. Cato scrambled away from the portal, rushing back to his counter of tools and other items. Bianca reached for her phone and quickly sent a ten-worded text to everyone who would care. 'Portal's fixed. We're going back. Adam. The Quarter Quell. Sorry.' That was all she wrote. Once she was certain the message was sent, she turned back to Cato. He was breathing heavily in front of the portal, staring into it.

"Bianca?" He called.

"What?" She returned, scanning her belongings to see if anything would come in handy to her. Cato licked his lips.

"What if this takes us back to the Capitol?"

"It won't. Peeta promised to dismantle the portal and take it back to twelve." Bianca reminded him. She stepped to his side and noticed how tense his muscles had become. "It's not going to be the Capitol. I'm sure." Bianca reassured him with a hand to his shoulder. Cato gulped and looked down at her. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Are you ready?" He asked, breaking the silence. Bianca turned away from him, looking up at that familiar white light. The light she was so reluctant to step into nearly seven months ago, in this exact same room with Maya, Owen, Haymitch, Seneca, Effie, Adam and the Peacekeepers. The very start of it all. Bianca breathed out shakily, and slid her hand down to meet Cato's. He glared at her, looking infuriated.

"I'm a little unstable right now, okay?" She said through her teeth. Cato practically sneered at her before looking back into the light. Time and time again Bianca wondered just what Clove and Cato saw in each other.

"It's go time." Cato said in a low voice, with darkening eyes. Bianca gulped, hearing her phone buzzing with text messages on the table behind them. "Three." Cato began.

"Two." Bianca said steadily. Cato glanced at her when her grip on his hand increased. He failed to return it until the final second. He took a short breath.

"Three!" He jolted forward, hauling Bianca along with him. The floor didn't exist. Walls didn't exist. There was nothing but falling, and air twisting and whistling all around them. Bianca couldn't feel a single thing, only Cato's grip. She felt sick to her core as her body was thrashed around and so was Cato's. And suddenly, the light disappeared and their feet thudded to the ground. The two of them gasped for air, as if they had been holding their breath the whole trip. Bianca's hand left Cato's as she collapsed on all fours.

"Oh my god." She breathed, touching the floor with her fingertips.

"B-Bianca! Cato!" Came a gasp. The two of them looked up to see Peeta and Katniss at the far end of the room, having previously backed up at the sound of the noises coming from the portal.

"Katniss! Peeta!" Bianca scrambled to her feet and found herself in Katniss's embrace. Peeta was grinning wide, even as he approached Cato with his hand extended. Cato grinned in return, shaking Peeta's hand violently.

"Welcome back. You know, Katniss knew you'd return! Right? Didn't you? You were just telling me last night!" Peeta exclaimed. Katniss pulled away, exasperated.

"Are you all right? What happened?" She asked.

"We're both coping the best we can. Everybody on our planet thinks Adam's dead." Bianca stated. Katniss's eyes met with Peeta's at the mention of him. Bianca's grin faded. "Please tell me he isn't." She pleaded. Katniss looked back at her, grasping her shoulder.

"Rumor has it the Capitol's been keeping him captive until our return. Because when we do, the Quarter Quell can start early."

"They've been training him and a few others like a Career." Peeta told them. Bianca looked between them in confusion.

"Training him? That's it?" She asked. Katniss swallowed hard, looking down at the floor.

"You bastards!" Came a yell from the doorway. Haymitch stood with a bottle of wine in his hands that quickly fell from grasp and cracked on the floor. He ran at Cato and Bianca, almost swooping them into his fatherly embrace.

"Haymitch!" Bianca said against him, holding him tightly. Cato blinked unsurely, feeling awkward to be in between this display of affection. Haymitch pulled away, staring at them through his blond bangs.

"You shouldn't have returned." He said instantly.

"We're here for Adam." Bianca stated. Haymitch shook his head.

"Even so. Don't get me wrong, thirteen, I'm glad to see your face. But coming here just in time for the Quarter Quell is not a good idea. You know, the Hunger Games has never started six months early before. And if you go now it sure will." He breathed. Bianca moved out of his grasp.

"Look, we came for Adam and we're not leaving without him." She said sternly.

"It's dangerous. Both you and Adam have been reaped for the Quarter Quell to represent District twelve. And Cato's the male tribute for District 2. If Adam doesn't make to the Quell then they're going to choose someone else, from whichever District."

"What do you mean if he doesn't make it to the Quell?" Bianca snapped. Silence whipped the room to a stare-down. Bianca glanced at Katniss and Peeta. "You said they're just training him, right? Like a Career? That's it, right?" She asked loudly. Haymitch sighed and shook his head.

"That and they're torturing him." He confessed. Bianca's eyes shut at the very idea. Her mind filled with Adam's screams from the time he was on fire. She could hear him that time, but was too far away to reach him and was being chased by Thresh. Haymitch rested himself in a nearby chair. "He's probably on some heavy drugs, too. Ones that turn him into some kind of monstrosity." He snarled, disgusted by the very word.

"Monstrosity?" Bianca repeated.

"I know which drug that is." Cato said suddenly. They turned to him. "It was optional for Careers back in Two. Makes you stronger and better and paranoid. But I'm guessing they're forcing Adam on it in the Capitol." He said.

"Why would they put him on something that makes him stronger?" Bianca asked.

"To put on a show." Cato replied, folding his arms.

"Did you ever take it?" Peeta asked. Cato glanced at him before looking down at the floor and sighing. He shook his head.

"Hardly anyone does because of the side-effects. I refused it for years until the last reaping. I was on it for a month before I volunteered." Cato looked back up at them. For once there was some sort of fear in his eyes. His lips chattered open. "It was a nightmare sometimes. You can't control yourself. You… you lose yourself." He told them. The room seemed to shiver at the idea. Peeta looked up at Bianca seeing the torture on her face at the mention of what Adam could be going through. He knew that he would've felt the exact same way about Katniss. Peeta sighed, looking up at Haymitch.

"When can we leave for the Capitol?" He asked. The room turned to him like he was mad.

"Why would we do that?" Katniss asked, sounding angry.

"It's not like we have a choice, Katniss! The Peacekeepers know we're here and so does Snow! The Rebellion can't protect us when they come and drag us to the Capitol for the Quarter Quell. Might as well save ourselves the embarrassment." He said with reddening cheeks from previously raising his voice. The room was silent again as the past tributes looked between each other, thinking. Cato ran his tongue along the inside of his lip and looked up at Peeta.

"We should leave tomorrow morning. The Capitol should be informed, too. That way when we arrive, they'll be crowding around us and showing us their typical love. I mean… they liked us all, didn't they? Last time around? And if Snow sees that the Capitol people know we're there, and still like us, he can't harm us before the Quell." Cato said. They all glanced up at him, processing his words.

"You seriously want to go back into an arena?" Katniss asked, with venom in her words. Cato shot a cold glare at her.

"Didn't you hear your Lover-Boy? We don't have a choice, Fire-Girl."

"Oh, we're back to the name calling, are we, Two?" Katniss asked, taking a step towards him.

"Guys!" Peeta bellowed, before the conversation can escalate. He stepped between them, with an unfamiliar bitterness in his eyes. "We have to get along. Understood?"

"Hey, it ain't our fault that Two over there keeps causing a ruckus." Haymitch grumbled, pulling out a flask from his inner coat pocket. Both Cato and Bianca glared at him. "What? I'm just saying." Haymitch shrugged.

"He's been through a lot." Bianca stated. Cato glanced at her before huffing away, with a dark look in his eyes. "These past six months have been heavy on all of us. So we either stick together or go against each other. And we can't have that last part as an option. Peeta's right." She said, stepping to his side. Peeta glanced at her reassuringly then looked up at Haymitch for his response. His face was neutral for some time, before he pulled his flask from his lips. He pointed a finger at them, as if to warn them, and stepped away to the door.

"Tomorrow morning." He grumbled, thrusting the door open. It crushed the remains of his broken bottle in the doorframe. "Sorry for the mess." He uttered obtusely, stumbling out into the hall. Peeta's eyes fell downwards before they met with Katniss's.

"Katniss… We have to. Besides, they love you." Peeta murmured softly. Katniss sighed and rolled her eyes at him.

"They love _you_, Peeta. Everyone loves you." Katniss grumbled sourly, picking up her bow from the floor. She made her way to the door, but Peeta's subtle voice interjected her departure.

"Yeah, except for you." He said. Katniss paused in her steps, hearing silence turn the room upside down. Her face drained to something sullen and she heaved her belongings over her shoulder.

"Yeah, Peeta. Except for me." She grumbled spitefully. Peeta's face, once strong with confidence, melted to nothing but hurt. "Bianca. You can stay with my family and I for tonight. Help me break the news to them that we're leaving for the Quell tomorrow morning." It was evident that Katniss thought they were being lead to their death by returning to the Capitol. Bianca awkwardly brushed passed Peeta and made her way to Katniss' side. She placed a hand on her shoulder to seem reassuring but it only made Katniss jump. She was still shaken up by her uneasy retort to Peeta, especially after spending the day and the night before together. Katniss nodded and led Bianca out into the hall. An unwelcoming silence followed in the Mellark household. Cato and Peeta's conversations were short. Cato took Peeta's bed while Peeta shared with one of his brothers. Dinner was at half past seven and lights out was at eleven.

The next morning spewed a hurricane of feelings. The departure back to the Capitol sent Madge, Gale, her mother and Prim into fits. Gale was furious with Peeta for suggesting to leave to the Capitol, knowing that would send them into the Quarter Quell. Madge and Prim were bawled in tears yet somehow Katniss's mother remained firm. She was trying to be strong for Prim, just as Katniss instructed. Peeta's family seemed almost indifferent at their departure.

The excitement of their arrival at the Capitol was far more than they expected. The Capitol people were gathered in the greatest amount of numbers anyone had ever seen. They were all eager to find the District 13s and 12s, and the missing District 2 boy. Something happened as they made their way through the crowd of screaming, fainting Capitol residents. Cato's smirk became smug as he cheered them on. Bianca didn't like this. Nobody did. They felt that the attention of the crowd just fed Cato's violence and heartlessness. The traits he was well remembered for at the start of last year's Hunger Games. Once inside, Cato's bitterness was stronger than ever.

"They've been expecting us. I'm going to find my room." He grumbled when he started to walk away, escorted by an avox. Bianca stared as he leaves. Chest huffed out, eyes sharp, muscles tense. Her heart skipped a beat when she knew that the games were changing him again.

"I guess you're going to have to go back to watching your back, Thirteen." Haymitch said. Bianca glanced up at him, then back after Cato.

"We spent six months together. We even spent Christmas together. I thought he'd still be my friend even through the Quell."

"He's Cato, Bianca. People don't trust Cato." Haymitch grumbled, taking a swig of alcohol from his flask. Bianca's eyes fell when she heard the truth in his words. It pained her to think all those months of teamwork amounted to nothing suddenly because of the Quell. She worked every Saturday and Sunday night with him, assisting him whenever she could. And now… now she was watching her only trusted friend leave her without a second glance. She knew the friendship had terminated by this point, and turned to let an avox show her to her room. As she walked through a very Capitol living room, she caught a glance of a room at the farthest end. She knew. She knew Adam must be in there. Locked away and guarded behind that door. Bianca's heart started to race as she was escorted to her own quarters. She longingly stared at the door, wishing for it to burst open and for Adam to come rushing towards her. Bianca's own door was shut by an avox and locked, by Snow's orders no doubt. Six months. Six months of loneliness. And he could've just be a few meters away, thinking of her. He must've been.

Bianca awoke bright and early for her first day of training. It was apparent that President Snow had been expecting them, and wanted them ready for the Quarter Quell. As Bianca changed back into her training outfit, similar to the one she wore during the last Hunger Games, it only made her feel worse. This was real. The horrors that kept her up at night were about to happen all over again. She rushed downstairs to breakfast where two Capitol looking folk sit, engaged in light conversation. Bianca scanned the room quickly.

"Rise and shine." A man greeted, standing from the table. He has medium brown hair that was slicked back over his head. He was of average build, with a slightly larger muscle mass. His clothes were completely Capitol, however. Bianca stared at him in confusion as he approached her.

"Where's Haymitch and Effie?" She asked instantly.

"They officially only work with District 12's tributes. We're here to work with you. I'm Hans and I'm your new mentor. This is Claudia, your escort." Hans said. Bianca awkwardly shook both their hands, confused entirely and lost without the presence of anyone she knew. "Training starts immediately." Hans told her.

"What about breakfast?"

"What about training?" Claudia snapped back just as fast. Bianca blinked up at her as Hans sighed. "Besides, your tribute partner is way ahead of you." Claudia said. At his mention, Bianca's eyes widened and she took a step towards them.

"Adam?" She breathed. Hans grinned and turned away.

"Yes, Adam." He said, taking a seat next to Claudia at the breakfast table.

"He's here? Why isn't he at breakfast? Is he safe? Not hurt or anything?" Bianca asked vividly. She watched as Claudia and Hans exchanged looks of uncertainty. Her stomach dropped, realizing that perhaps Katniss and Peeta's news of Adam's torture was true. Hans et his napkin down on the table and stood again.

"Lets get you to training." He said, putting a comforting hand over her shoulders as he swept her out of the room. They walked through the halls close together, Bianca didn't mind. Hans maneuvered the two of them away from the walls and away from any other person, protecting her. There was something fatherly about him that allowed Bianca to let him mentor her. When they were in the elevator, she quickly identified it as the very same escape route they had from last time. The elevator was pin drop silent as Bianca and Hans stood alone, with his arm still over her like a protective layer. Taking her chances, Bianca tilted her head up towards him, afraid that the elevator had some voice recording system.

"What have they done to Adam and where is he?" She asked in a shaky voice. Hans licked his lips, watching as the elevator buttons lit up with every floor they passed.

"Look there." Hans whispered, nodding at one. Bianca's gaze shifted to the buttons. She searched for whatever Hans was gesturing to until she found it. The floor labeled 'Special Assistance'. There were three whole floors labeled Special Assistance L1, L2 and L3, and they were all just above the training room.

"Special Assistance?" Bianca repeated curiously.

"That's where they're keeping Adam. That's why he wasn't at breakfast." Hans told her. Bianca swallowed hard, feeling the anger and longing bubble inside of her again. "Everyone knows that at least seven of the tributes are being held on the Special Assistance levels. But nothing can be said, even if everyone knows. Understood?" Hans grumbled.

"How does everyone know?" Bianca asked as they near the Special Assistance floors. Hans raised an eyebrow and nodded at the buttons. He nervously licked his thin lips before they shivered open.

"Listen." He said faintly. Bianca froze and waited, opening herself up to noise. The lift button lit up on 'Special Assistance L3' and suddenly the elevator was filled with the sound of muted screams. Bianca gasped softly but Hans quickly hushed her. "Be neutral, they're watching us." He said. Bianca held her stance. The screams were drawn-out, bloody and terrifying. She could just imagine tributes being roped at the neck, burned and tortured. They reached L2. The sound chains turning, metal crunching, and the tributes' screams grew louder. Bianca's heart started to race. It sounded like they were being skinned alive. She heard the pain dripping in each and every scream and plea for mercy. They sounded tired and frail, near death even. Bianca's knees turned weak by the time they reached L1. Her stomach was churning and her head felt light. The muted sounds of torture echo and banged between the four elevator walls. It only multiplied Bianca's worry and fear. She was shivering by then but she tried to hide it. Those screams. Those poor, tortured souls. "There are several tributes in there but Adam's been there longest alongside two others. I can't mention them in here but maybe one of your friends will." Hans explained. Bianca nodded as they finally reached their floor, and the screaming began to fade above them.

"Training level." Came a metallic voice in the lift as it shuddered to a halt.

"His heart's stopped five times." Hans added as the elevator doors opened. Bianca's eyes widened and she turned to him.

"Adam's heart's stopped five times?" She whispered in disbelief. Hans cleared his throat and gestured to the training room.

"It'd be best if we didn't continue this conversation." He said. Bianca watched him before slowly stepping out of the elevator. Viewing her new surroundings, reality hit her. She'd returned to the training room. A place of nothing but foul memories. In a split second she imaged Glimmer by the bow and arrow station, trying her luck and giggling. And then Foxface, matching all kinds of forest things Bianca couldn't understand. Then Clove with her throwing knives, never missing a single target, shooting a smirk at Cato when she could. Marvel and Adam at the spears, befriending one another and laughing stupidly. Bianca shut her eyes as the pain from the games flooded her again.

"Bianca." Came an approaching voice. She peeled her eyes open to find that the faces of the fallen tributes of the 74th Annual Hunger Games were no longer there. A fresh set of faces appeared at the training stations, a set she was unfamiliar with. The tributes of the 75th Annual Hunger Games, the Third Quarter Quell. "Bianca." The voice said again, now at her neck. Katniss embraced Bianca briefly before pulling away and grabbing her shoulders. "Are you alright?" She asked. Bianca pulled herself together and looked at both Katniss and Peeta.

"Do you really need to ask?" She muttered. Peeta and Katniss watched her worryingly before they moved over to the camouflage training station. Just as Peeta came up by Bianca's side, she grabbed his arm, shocking him. "Did you hear them?" She whispered alertly. Peeta was silent for a moment, before scanning around the room then glancing at Katniss. He turned to Bianca and nodded once. "What can we do?"

"Nothing." Peeta muttered. Bianca's eyes fell at the word. "There's nothing we _can_ do. Each floor is guarded by a ton of Peacekeepers. And if we try and beat passed them we're done for."

"The Quell is in a few days, Bianca. We're going to have to wait." Katniss said, picking up a paintbrush and handing it to Peeta. Bianca sighed and placed her palms on the table, staring down at the metallic surface.

"I've been waiting for six months." She mumbled. Peeta began camouflaging his arm, glancing up at Katniss worryingly. "Six. Months." Bianca ran her hand through her hair, shaking her head.

"There's nothing we can do. Everything's separate. Sleeping chambers, meals, chariot rides, even the interviews! It's amazing that the Capitol hasn't noticed how strange it is." Katniss said, watching a tribute pass out on the floor, drunk. Bianca pressed her tongue to the inside of her cheek and shook her head again.

"Better make the most out of this training, 13." Hans interrupted, walking up to the station. Bianca pushed passed him angrily, sending him against the camouflage counter in shock. She found herself making her way to the knives station. The memories were horrible but she knew she has to put them aside. She was going back to the arena. It was inevitable now.

* * *

_AN: Let me know what you think in the reviews!_


	2. Favors

Revival

**Chapter 2: Favors**

Days went by like they did back in Toronto. Dull, gloomy, empty and lonely. Peeta, Katniss and Bianca watched the old Hunger Games that the past tributes competed in, trying to learn their tactics and their names. They watched these everyday, whenever they had free time. And as for training, the tributes entered the elevator and pass the Special Assistance floors every morning and every night. And each time they had to stand and listen to the cries of pain. Nobody spoke of it. Nobody even looked like they noticed it. Everyone sparked pretend conversation to distract them from the sound of raw, merciless torture. Bianca didn't. She said nothing. She listened carefully, trying to sort through each scream until she heard him. But the voices were so mutilated that she didn't even know if what she was hearing was human anymore.

On top of that, Cato was worse than ever. He attacked every training station like a brand new challenge, even though he'd seen it all before. He never spoke to Bianca, or even looked at her. Snow executed Cato's previous mentor for letting him escape, but Cato didn't have any painful sentiment towards knowing that. His new mentor was just as vicious and relentless. He was bringing back the old Cato, and nobody liked it.

It was the day before the Quarter Quell and the interviews had begun. Everything was fine and normal until the long-awaited entrance of Cato, and both District 12 and 13.

"… Katniss Everdeen!" Caesar announced. The screams from the crowd are deafening, many tributes had to cover their ears or walk away from the stage wings. Katniss emerged, looking as gorgeous as always. The interview quickly spun off by asking about how she felt about her departure in the last games. She tried to crack a joke about being the girl on fire and the crowd laughed. Caesar asked her to stand and show her flames, which she obliged to do with a twirl. What happened next shocked everybody, even Katniss. She was on fire. Real fire. The dress burned right down until she was left in some black outfit with wings. Cinna had turned her into a Mockingjay.

"Oh my god…" Bianca muttered with wide eyes, watching as Katniss stared at Cinna, shaking her head at him slightly even as the crowd roared ahead of her.

"Snow's not going to like that." Peeta said. He was right. He'd hate it. After a couple more sentences, Katniss was off stage and white in the face.

"This is not good." She said instantly.

"Peeta Mellark!" Came Caesar's voice on stage. The excitement in the audience sent a rumble right through the floorboards. Peeta grasped Katniss by her shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Don't worry about it." He said.

"Cinna could get killed because of me!" Katniss whispered. Peeta shook his head, moving towards the stage.

"He did this to himself." He called. He turned and reached the stage, stumbling into the spotlight. He smiled instantly and hobbled over to Caesar. The conversation engaged the second Peeta reached the couch. He talked about his fake leg, and the rumors about his marriage to Katniss. He confirmed it, saying they eloped.

"What?" Katniss breathed from off-stage. Peeta then explained that Katniss is pregnant. Bianca glared at Katniss in confusion, but Katniss looked just about as confused as her. Bianca knew she wasn't pregnant. And that Peeta and her obviously hadn't even had sex. Or that they eloped. But when Peeta came back from the stage, with the crowd in hysterics, it felt real. He curled Katniss up in his arms and into an emotional embrace. The crowd was basically starting a riot, and Bianca hadn't even gotten on stage yet. After much wasted time they finally quieted down, allowing Bianca's name to be called.

"Bianca DeSousa!" The name rang a bell and the audience was alive again. She came out, elegantly as ever, and was somewhat happy to see Caesar up-close again. "Come, come! Take a seat! You look lovely!" Caesar exclaimed. Bianca grinned, sitting down on that familiar couch. She thanked him and the interview started. It was all about her disappearance, and how come she wasn't around for the victory tour and only Adam was. She worked her way around the questions by saying that in the spirit and tradition of the games, both she and Cato wanted Panem to only be greeted by one victor. The crowd loved this, and her. Bianca didn't talk much, and also strongly denied the rumor of her marriage to Cato. The buzzer went off, and she was off the stage, rushing back to Katniss and Peeta.

"Great job." Hans said from his seat, having a drink with Haymitch.

"Thanks." Bianca uttered, though she felt just as lifeless as always. She watched Hans's face distort in horror suddenly as he shoved his drink under his chair and Haymitch did the same. Bianca watched as everyone else in the room had the same reaction, and they seemed to be staring right at her. No. _Behind_ her. Bianca didn't want to, but she turned her head to face the man of her nightmares. She was staring right into the icy face of President Coriolanus Snow. She felt a chill run through her as the scent of roses and blood filled the air. Snow's eyes hardened as he glared around the room.

"Good to see you all at last. It's been awhile." He began. Bianca felt Katniss's hand on her arm, pulling her towards her. Bianca took a small step back, now with the District 12 tributes on either side of her. Snow huffed with laughter once, and only once, before his cold glare return with a sickening smile. "Oh, come on now, don't be like that. The past is the past. Besides, you're all here now and the Quell is tomorrow. And our new Head Gamemaker is very excited to show off what he has planned. From what I've heard, you've already spoken to him, haven't you, Katniss?" Snow asked, stepping towards her. Katniss visibly flinched and turned a paler color.

"Yes." She uttered. Snow smiled his horrible smile. His very presence reeked of death.

"Good. Now, run along back and get some sleep. I'm sure you're all more than ecstatic to see the new arena, and to see… certain individuals." He grumbled. Bianca took a sudden quick breath at the mention of 'certain individuals'. She instantly reminded herself that Snow had been torturing Adam for six months. Six months of those screams in the elevator all day and night. Bianca tried to lunge forward angrily but Peeta grabbed her and pulled her back. Snow merely smirked wider. "And may the odds be _ever_ in your favor… Goodnight." He said, nodding at the mentors once before stalking off with Peacekeepers surrounding him. He left the room but his evil stench lingered longer than necessary. Bianca took a step forward after him but this time Hans was the one to stop her.

"Thirteen!" He warned, grabbing her by her wrists and pulling her back.

"He's the reason for all of this! I wouldn't even be here if it was because of him! Adam wouldn't, Maya wouldn't, Owen wouldn't! Nobody would!" She shouted, struggling in his arms.

"Bianca, calm down!"

"We'd all be back in Toronto and none of this would've happened! They'd all still be alive!" Bianca broke free from Hans grasp but didn't run after Snow. She wanted to make her point clear to everyone in the room. She ran her fingers through her hair as her eyes swarmed with tears. "Owen would still be my douchebag best friend who was decent enough to make sure I didn't get slipped drugs at clubs! And Maya would still be the hobbit-dork that creeped me out whenever she did so much as look at me or breathe! And Adam… Adam would still be the guy I was too ashamed to have a crush on because of my stupid, stupid pride! And I would've never apologized to him and we would've never crossed paths ever again! But you know what? You know what – all of that sounds much better than seeing their memorial _every_ single day! It's so much better than spending six months alone knowing that you've lost someone and can't reach them! It's so much better than hearing the one person you truly care about scream in agony for a week and not being allowed to say a word about it!" Bianca cried. She stared at her mentor with pleading watery eyes, as the room remained silent around her. She huffed and shook for air now.

"Anything… anything is better than what we've had to go through. Hell, bring Owen and Maya back to life, I'm sure Adam and I would be glad to trade our lives in for theirs any day." She sobbed, shaking her head as the tears fell down her cheeks. The pain inside her was close to sickening; she could throw up if she didn't have any self-control. Bianca gasped for air, trembling as she tried to continue. "Because Snow keeps taking from us. He keeps taking and taking and taking! And I – _we_ all keep giving and giving until there's nothing left for us to give! Could you really live like that for the rest of your life?" She questioned, now turning to face the others. "Well? Could you?" She bellowed. Nobody responded. They all stared at in her awe as she wiped the tears from her face, even as a fresh set began to fall. "Because I can't… I can't do this anymore." She uttered, shaking her head again as she stormed off through the doors. She was down the hallway in no time and Hans came running after her. He didn't say anything either. He knew no phrase could console her at this point in time. Instead he walked her back to their chambers and made sure her stylist helped her out of the dress before bed.

But she sat on her bed hours after lights out. She stayed curled up on the edge of her bed, staring at her door. She was filled to the very top with nothing but fear and unrest. The Quell was tomorrow. Tomorrow. The arena, the death, the nightmares. It would all be real again. She heard Clove's pleas for help in the back of her head, and it sent a horrific shiver down her spine. How desperate and human Clove appeared in her final moments. How she begged for mercy. Begged for help. It was then when Bianca realized she had more in common with Clove than she thought. Clove was just a girl, doing all that she was ever taught to do. And she was scared to die. Scared to lose the one she loved. And that was just what Bianca felt. Except she couldn't scream for help. Bianca jolted in her bed at the sight of a shadow appearing beneath her doorframe. She sat upright alertly just as the door opened. Before Bianca could do so much as gasp, Hans flicked the light on and glared at her. His eyes were wide and there was sweat covering each inch of his face. Blood splattered over his hands.

"What's going on?" Bianca asked in a croaky voice. Hans glanced around Bianca's room before his eyes met hers. He was breathing heavily and his perfect hair was a mess.

"He's here." He said. Bianca's face distorted at the simple sentence. "He's here, Bianca!" He grunted, rushing forward. Bianca sprung out of her bed and towards Hans, who put his usual comforting arm over her shoulder and brought her forward. She made the decision to slither away from him and run.

"Adam?" She called, unable to contain herself. She darted down the stairs as he heart raced wildly in her chest. Her eyes stung fiercely as she skidded down the staircase, feeling her head starting to spin. When she stumbled into the living room she was greeted with a figure hunched over on the floor, clinging onto the couch with all his might. When his face turned, she was confirmed with either the worst possible situation or best. Because it was him. It was Adam.

Bianca's eyes widened as Adam's appearance registered in her brain. He was in a pool of his own blood. His wrists were shackled together and so were his ankles. There were bloody sores from where the metal had cut against his skin. Haymitch was right about the drugs too. The muscle mass Adam gained made his newly toned body seem almost unrecognizable. His arms were now almost as big as Cato's. His entire body looked heavier and solid. The clothes on his back were ripped, and there was nothing but chopped, raw flesh visible beneath the slits in the fabric. The cuts in his back were dangerously deep, and some even looked infected. Bianca gulped hard and looked into Adam's face. He looked… scary. Not scared, scary. His jaw was squarer and a fair amount of the fullness in his cheeks was nearly all gone. The features of his face had become sharper and defined. His blue eyes were focused on Bianca in a death stare, not its usual loving gaze. His muscles were tight and his face was indifferent at the sight of her.

"You shouldn't have come back." Was the first sentence to leave his lips. Tears rolled down Bianca cheeks but she caught them swiftly with the back of her hand.

"No. No, Adam, you don't understand, I didn't have a choice." She said softly.

"No, Bianca, _you_ don't understand. You did have a choice. You could've just given up, it would've be easier for both of us." Adam grumbled sourly. Bianca glared at him through the tears.

"What? Adam, what are you even saying?" She questioned, shaking her head. "Do you think I could live with myself if I just left you here?"

"You'd learn to." He snapped past her. Bianca stared down at him in confusion, her mind was racing.

"Okay, what the – who are you? I feel like I don't even know you, Adam! Do you know how scary that is?" She huffed suddenly. Adam just glowered at her with an unfamiliar iciness pulsing through his every feature. Bianca licked her lips, stepping closer. "What did they do to you?" She uttered as a knot made its way up her throat. The question irritated Adam. He shifted uncomfortably but didn't let his anger fade. Bianca and Adam stared in silence for a moment before a sigh intruded the quiet. Hans stumbled in with a bottle of wine in his palm. Bianca turned to him in an instant and rushed to his safety. "Hans, what've they done to him? They've changed him! They've changed him and I don't understand what's going on!" She grumbled urgently. Hans looked at her, not knowing where to start for a moment. He touched her shoulder and nodded towards the couch.

"Here, I'll explain." He said in a soft voice. Adam just scowled at the floor menacingly when Bianca and Hans took a seat opposite him. "It's the drugs."

"What do you mean?" Bianca asked desperately.

"The drug he's on has several phases post-injection. The first phase is called the Sleepwalker-Stage." Hans began, with a thumb out to count, "This is when users become immune to any sort of affection for about ten hours straight. The second phase is the infamous Monstrosity-Stage. This is the Gamemakers' favorite phase. It's when all the drug user wants to do was kill, kill and kill. This starts on the eleventh hour and lasts for four more." He explained. Bianca swallowed hard and looked back at Adam, who was licking his lips and itching at a sore on his wrist. He was uttering something to himself as he kept his eyes locked on the floor. "The third phase only occurs after the fifteenth hour. It's the last and longest phase of all, continuing for about two weeks give or take. The Mirror-Stage. It's quite interesting, actually. He'll return to his normal state but the second he's presented with a situation involving a rise in adrenaline, he'll backtrack to phase two. When the adrenaline rush is gone, so is the urge to slaughter." Hans grumbled before putting the bottle to his lips and tipping the win down his throat. Bianca clenched her jaw. Her eyes burned and she ran a hand over the crook of her neck.

"What phase is Adam in now?" She asked. Hans swallowed the burning substance and peered at Adam.

"He's in his third hour of phase one."

"Sleepwalker?"

"Sleepwalker." He confirmed, drinking from the bottle again. That explained it. It explained Adam's attitude but not all the things he said. Hundreds of phrases, questions and messages bubbled up in Bianca's throat. But she couldn't say any them. The longing was blazing in her but she just couldn't tell him. It wouldn't be the same, telling a zombie.

"Six months." She mumbled softly.

"What?"

"Six months." Bianca said clearer, looking back at Hans. Her brown eyes are filled with tears and her lips were shivering. "I waited six months for him and he… he… just look at him, he's not the same!" She breathed. Hans glanced at Adam, who was sitting and staring into the nothingness like a lost soul. Hans sighed and placed his wine down on the floor. He looked down at Bianca and softly touched her shoulder. She glanced up at him. "What did you bring him here?" She asked shakily. Hans seemed as if he didn't have a reply for a moment. He patted Bianca's shoulder and nodded. "Why'd you do it?" Bianca pressed. The question was almost a plea. She wanted to know why Hans would do such a thing. Hans smiled faintly.

"His state is bad, I know, but it's just about as good as it gets." He said, sighing, "This was the only time for you to see him out of the arena and not a killer. And, hey. I'm your mentor. You wanted to see him so I talked to a few people." He said. Bianca felt nothing but admiration and thankfulness for him in that moment, despite her confusion and disappointment in Adam.

"Thank you." She uttered. Hans merely shrugged, and patted the blood off his arms with a cloth, handed to him by an avox.

"Don't get yourself too worked up about it, Bianca." He told her in a fatherly manner. Bianca couldn't bear to look at Adam anymore. Every time she did, it only reminded her that all her months of waiting amounted to nothing. There was a sudden bang outside and the doors slammed open with Peacekeepers.

"It's time to go." The Head Peacekeeper grunted.

"What? That wasn't part of our agreement! He stays for another hour!" Hans protested, standing up defensively.

"I know our agreement!" The Head Peacekeeper snapped. "But Snow's coming down to check up on the Special Assistance floors earlier than expected. And if your little tribute over there isn't on his floor then this little secret won't be much of a secret. And on top of that, Adam won't be getting any healing for the Games tomorrow." He said. Hans looked down at Adam's wounds worryingly.

"They'll fix him up tonight if he goes now?" He asked.

"Yeah, they'll fix him up. Later on." The Head Peacekeeper said. Adam frowned, coming alive suddenly when he scowled up at the Head Peacekeeper.

"Later on? What happens to me, Fin and Jo between then and now?" When he asked this, it became apparent his cell partners where the missing tributes Finnick Odair and Johanna Mason. Bianca, Peeta and Katniss had watched both their games. The Head Peacekeeper gave a low chuckle and turned his back to Adam.

"You know just what'll happen between then and now, Thirteen." He said. Adam peered after him as he made his way to the door. "Get the whips." Peacekeepers rushed to Adam's side as his scowl deepened.

"Whips? Haven't you whipped him enough?" Hans grunted, going red with frustration and anger.

"The word enough doesn't exist." The Head Peacekeeper stated as he left the room. Adam's pale face reddened when the Peacekeepers began to drag him from his spot on the floor. Suddenly, he started writhing in the arms of the Peacekeepers. The puddle of blood became a mess when his limbs scattered it. Even his fake leg managed to thrash the couch back by an impressive meter or so. He said nothing, as he fought against the Peacekeepers, tossing a fist into a jaw. The single blow sent the Peacekeeper flying into the coffee table. A loud grunt vibrated out of Adam's throat as he swatted another Peacekeeper against a wall with one slash of his arm.

"Okay, okay, settle down now! We won't hurt you too bad, sweetheart." A Peacekeeper laughed. Bianca's gaze remained locked on him. So Adam apparently couldn't feel affection, but the look on his face showed that he could most definitely feel fear, anger and anxiety. His beastly appearance was unreal. The Head Peacekeeper came back into the room suddenly and brought up his arm. Clutched in his palm was undoubtedly no other weapon than a whip. Bianca opened her mouth to warn Adam but by the time she did, the whip had already cascaded along his back. He collapsed forward with a guttural grunt just as the Peacekeepers grabbed him. They hauled him towards the exit as he looked up with violent fury plastered to his face.

"Don't let them take me back there, Hans." He gurgled. The District 13 mentor turned, looking back at Adam.

"I'm sorry… There is really nothing I can do, I'm sorry." He uttered, shaking his head. Adam said nothing from that point onward. He just glared at the floor as the Peacekeepers pulled him out of the room. Bianca wasn't sure what to feel by the time he was gone. Adam never left that room, and he never came in either. That wasn't Adam. That was a stranger. She didn't know him. She sat down on the couch and buried her face into her hands and knees abruptly. Startled by Bianca's sudden breakdown, Hans rushed towards her and pulled her into a fatherly embrace. It took minutes to sedate her but he managed to anyway. The Peacekeepers departed and Bianca was left on the couch buried in Hans's chest. He sat there, giving her comforting strokes and pats, and the occasional kiss on the forehead.

"Why would you risk bringing Adam here? I mean, for you. It's a risk for you. Snow's going to find out." Bianca said finally through the silence. Hans shrugged.

"Well. Cinna was allowed to rebel a little with Katniss's dress, wasn't he?" He murmured. This took Bianca by complete surprise. She looked up and peered at his face. "So I thought, why not pitch in?" He grinned a bit, even if he knew this could prove to be a fatal decision.

"Hans, that's really – "

"I know." He said, before Bianca can tell him off. He brought her closer against him and rocked her back and forth for a moment. "I know." He repeated. After a few more moments of comforting, Bianca had her second shower of the night and changed into a fresh nightgown. The blood was cleaned from the living room and Hans was sent back to his own chambers, leaving Bianca with a small pouch and a note. It read that the pouch contained sleeping pills. They'd get her enough sleep for the rest of the night, but also mentioned that the pills would not cure her nightmares. It didn't matter. Bianca ingested them and went to bed. Sure enough, she was haunted by the images of the Special Assistance floors. She pictured Adam chained at every limb of his body as his raw, bloody back was whipped again and again. Untouched flesh breaks and splits, forcing a blood-curdling scream from his throat every time the weapon landed on him. He was in agony, surrounded in a pool of his own blood, but his face remained indifferent and cold. Lifeless. Empty.

Bianca then pictured last year's arena. She remembered Clove's skull cracking and shattering. Rue being speared through the stomach. Maya collapsing to the ground. Owen bleeding dry on the bank. Foxface choking on the Nightlocks. The District 3 boy's head snapping under Cato's arm. She pictured each and every death as vividly as she could remember.

Bianca shot up in horror, breathing heavy in a mess of sheets. To her surprise, her escort Claudia was standing at the foot of her bed. Bianca jumped in shock.

"Nightmares." She explained quickly. But that was not what Claudia was there for. She pointed to her wristwatch, tapping it once or twice but said nothing. Bianca was confused for a moment before she checked the time on the bedside table. It was morning already. She snapped up, staring at Claudia as if she was pleading her to tell her this wasn't it. But it was.

It was the morning of the 75th Hunger Games.


	3. Missions

Revival

**Chapter 3: Missions**

There was nothing colder than realization. Nothing as empty, nothing as twisted. And as Bianca paced in front of the launch room she understood this more than anything. She could hear Cato far away, yelling at someone and taunting them. If only she could view him, make him look at her, then she might've been able to turn him around. Katniss and Peeta were off together, making the most of their time together outside of the arena above them. Adam, along with the others on the Special Assistance levels, hadn't arrived just yet. Bianca leaned against the wall and cradled her face in her hands. She didn't think she could go through it all again; the games. She shook her head. No. The last games left her scarred beyond any prep team's repair.

And suddenly, she heard a familiar voice. Well, vaguely familiar. Adam came marching through the doors having just landed along with the Special Assistance tributes. He came crashing in like a time-bomb. He was vicious. Already sweating and focused hard. His hands were in fists as they remained in shackles. His muscles were tight and his veins were bulging.

"Adam?" Bianca called instantly. He avoided her, standing only a few meters away as they unchained him. It was like unleashing a monster. Bianca licked her lips and watched him carefully as he shuddered the chains off and pushed the Peacekeepers several feet back. "Adam?" Bianca repeated sharply. He merely glanced at her with a disgusted expression before facing his launch room door. Hurt, Bianca turned away from him and faced her own door just as bitterly. It was decided. Things were different between them now. Things were different between all of them. It was every man for himself.

"Enter." Came a metallic voice. The doors slid open and the tributes poured in, prepping for battle. Bianca stopped in the center of the room when she saw the launch tube. The memories rushed back and burned her. She was going back to the arena. Only now she was alone. And she'd get killed in an instant.

"Bianca." Came a hasty voice at the doorway. She jumped and turned to see Hans rushing towards her.

"You're not allowed to be here!" Bianca said quickly. He shut the door and pointed to the tube.

"Get in." He ordered. Bianca looked at him in confusion before he abruptly shoved her. Frightened by his act of violence, Bianca obliged.

"Mentors aren't allowed at this point, so why're you here?" She asked, taking her place on the metal platform.

"I have to be." He told her. He visually checked Bianca from head to toe, as if he was looking for errors. Bianca glanced up at the ceiling, fearing what was above more than anything.

"Tell me why you're here. The real reason." She breathed, looking down at him. Shock spread on her face when she caught Hans's expression. He was scared. "Hans?" She choked out, reaching towards her mentor.

"Listen to me and listen well," Hans uttered suddenly, stopping Bianca's hand when it reached for his face. He stared up at Bianca with puppy-dog like eyes as he shook with terror. "Whatever you do," his voice became a whisper, "You must protect Peeta. Some of the tributes have been informed to protect him and others have been told to protect Katniss. You must – " Hans jumped at the sound of a struggle followed by a muffled scream that rang out in the hall. He cursed and pushed Bianca away from him, further into the launch tube.

"Three minutes." Came a metallic voice. Bianca looked at the doorway, where the ruckus was coming from, then back at Hans.

"What's going on out there?" She asked instantly. Hans looked at her with frantic eyes, filled with tears.

"Protect Peeta. The fate and justice of Panem depends on it. The secrets in the Capitol are bigger than you'll ever know, Bianca." He muttered, holding Bianca by her shoulders. There was another noise and a scream from outside that only made Bianca's anxiety worse.

"What secrets are you talking about? What the hell is going on out there?"

"Protect Peeta!" Hans exclaimed in frustration. Bianca had never seen him so worked up and nervous before. He was breathing fast as he glanced at the door, then back at her.

"I'll protect him." Was all Bianca managed.

"Vow to protect him!" Hans commanded.

"I vow to protect him!" She shouted back.

"Swear it!"

"Hans!" Bianca bellowed over him. Hans breathed heavily, staring at her as she grabbed him by his shirt. Bianca wasn't sure what had gotten into her, but Hans's state made her say it. "Hans, I vow to protect Peeta Mellark with my life. I'll never let him out of my sight. I'll protect him with everything I possible can. He _will_ survive." She breathed. Hans nodded, messily wiping the tears from his cheeks.

"Good. Now, go out there and show Panem what you're made of." He told her.

"I'll try and make you proud."

"You already have, Bianca." The screams worsened outside over their conversation, causing Bianca to look back at the door. "No." Hans grabbed Bianca by her jaw and forced her to look at his face. "Don't look back." He commanded.

"Why, Hans? What's going on out there?" Bianca demanded, shaking from Hans's grasp. Hans looked at her with his watery eyes, and took a step back. "Hans." Bianca reached out to touch his shoulder to comfort him, but Hans tossed it back at her.

"Never look back, Bianca! Do you understand me?" He yelled. His voice seemed tortured. Bianca stared at Hans for a moment, wondering just what on earth put him in such a state.

"Two minutes." Came the countdown again. Voices crowded the door, just meters away from them. There was shouting, and fists banging against walls. Bianca glanced back at the exit and Hans shook his head. Something more than just a brawl was happening outside. Something much more.

"Hans…" Bianca breathed, looking at him desperately now. "Please, what is going on?" She asked. Hans only shook his head some more as his body vibrated with fear.

"Goodbye." Came a strangled voice in his throat.

"What do you – " the doors flew open behind him, and a raid of Peacekeepers rushed in.

"Be strong and know your allies!" Hans roared just as they engulfed him.

"Hans!" Bianca lunged forward but the launch tube sealed them apart.

"And never look back, Bianca!" Hans shouted from within the crowd of Peacekeepers. Bianca watched as they pull out clubs and started beating Hans right in front of her. And there was nothing she could do but scream and squirm in her launch tube, pushing and fighting the glass, trying to get through to him. "Protect Peeta!" Came a gurgle from the floor. Bianca watched as blood splatters the room and Hans battled for life on the ground. They beat him and beat him as the seconds ticked passed. Bianca was thrashing around, trying to break the barrier but she couldn't. The tube started to rise and she collapsed to the floor, pressing her herself against the glass.

"Hans!" She screamed for him, but there was no response. When the Peacekeepers pulled away Bianca saw the bloody, mangled body of her loving and kind-hearted mentor. His body was crushed and lifeless. Hans beamed out of sight and Bianca was suddenly kneeling down in the open air. She was in the arena. She shut her eyes, wanting to erase everything she just saw from her memory. Hans was dead. Murdered. Only Snow could've ordered that. Snow killed him and the sick man wanted Bianca to watch. Suddenly, a wave licked her knees. Bianca's eyes shot open and she stared down. Water. Why was there water on her platform? Bianca looked up and this year's terrain hit her just as hard as it hit the others. Water. It was everywhere. Flowing all around the platforms. There was a beach and sand trail ahead, where the all too familiar Cornucopia sat with the supplies. Even worse, the supplies were stacked this year, instead of being evenly spread out. There was also jungle everywhere ahead. Not forest, jungle. It was too unfamiliar. And the water was between all of the areas so they'd be forced to swim.

Bianca looked around as many tributes glared at the liquid in fear and at the Cornucopia in lust. Many of them either couldn't swim properly or didn't know how to at all. The District 4s were in luck. Bianca stood to her feet, realizing that they were now being broadcasted live to Panem. She wiped the tears from her face. Snow. Killed. Hans. Bianca bitterly clenched her jaw and fists, glancing around at the other tributes. She couldn't see a majority of them because they were in a circle and were blocked from view by the Cornucopia. But then Bianca saw Katniss. She was crying and shaking just a few platforms away. Bianca made sure her glare was intense enough for Katniss to feel it to gain her attention. After a few seconds it worked and Katniss stared right into Bianca's face. When they made eye contact and the countdown dawned, both tributes realized they were in tears for the exact same reason.

Who between them purposely opposed President Snow? Who between them knew the consequences? Who between them cared for them like a father and friend? Who between them were just slaughtered to death in front of their eyes in the launch room as the glass sealed them apart? Hans, and… _Cinna_. They glared at each other as the countdown neared starting time. Both turned away, filled with rage and heartbreak. Their silent conversation spoke a thousand words of disgust and frustration. Snow killed both Cinna and Hans. He was the darkness enclosing Panem.

"10… 9…" The countdown was closer than Bianca imagined. All she could do now was stare at the Cornucopia. What happened when the countdown was over? Who could she rely on this time? There was no Maya Matlin, no Owen Milligan. They were gone. There was no west highlands or cave campsite. Looking for motivation, Bianca remembered all of Hans's dying wishes. _Never look back. Be strong. Know your allies. Protect Peeta_. "8… 7…" And as Bianca wiped the tears from her cheeks, she decided that was exactly what she was going to do. For the whole of the games. She must find ways to gain allies and protect Peeta from harm at all costs. That was her only tactic. No more hiding and waiting. Playtime was over. "7… 6…" Bianca's heart was racing now. It was all coming too fast. The games had returned. The nightmares were reality again. Everything wasn't a dream anymore. "5…" She looked around for some comfort in Adam, but he was practically growling on his platform, flinching and ready to go. "4… 3… 2…" This was it. Bianca didn't have time to look at Cato, knowing that he was more prepared than anything. This was it. This, right here, right now. Bianca drew her breath, eyes sharp on the Cornucopia. Protect Peeta Mellark. "…1." Let the games begin.

Next thing she knew, Bianca was in the water. She'd flung herself forward into the waves and she was racing against the current. It was saltwater. She could taste it. Of course it had to be. The Gamemakers would've never had fresh water for the tributes, that'd be too easy. All but one of the tributes were off their platforms by then, and swimming towards the beach that laid ahead. Bianca's trip was shorter than she imagined, and she soon found herself pulling her body up onto the sand. She was one of the first ones there. She rushed to the tower of supplies and skillfully jumped over crates to climb for a backpack and a black, folded piece of fabric. She knew just what it was when she scooped it under her arm. She launched away from the pile, darting down the sand. She heard someone coming after her so she dipped her hand into the black fabric urgently. She pulled out a thin knife. Its handle was longer than the blade, so Bianca held it where it hurts and spun around. She tossed the knife into her follower's eye, making him scream in terror and drop his sword.

Bianca ran towards him and pinned him to the ground. She was vicious and determined from seeing her fatherly mentor murdered. She pulled the knife out and slashed the tribute's throat. First kill. Bianca DeSousa, District 13, had the _first kill _of the 75th Annual Hunger Games. Last year it'd been Clove. Bianca looked up from the dead tribute and searched the surrounding arena. She couldn't see anyone clearly. Where was Katniss? And Cato? And Adam? And more importantly, where was her mission, Peeta Mellark? She couldn't see, everyone was moving too quickly. She heard footsteps coming her way and caught a glimpse of the most dashing, gorgeous man running towards her with a trident. Bianca scrambled to get another knife but he didn't even attack her. Instead he launched the trident at an approaching tribute, just meters away from her, whom she didn't even notice. The handsome tribute ran back to retrieve his trident, and returned to Bianca with his hand extended. Bianca immediately backed away and had a knife out towards him. The boy glared at the weapon, then up at Bianca's face.

"I just saved your life." He frowned. Bianca licked her lips and shrugged.

"How do I know you're not going to kill me when I let my guard down?" She asked maliciously. The tribute raised an eyebrow, spinning his trident in his hands. He sighed.

"Well. Because – get down!" He bellowed, lifting his trident back. Bianca dropped to the floor almost instantly as he swung. The trident flew into the tribute's chest another time, who collapsed finally to the ground in silence. The trident-bearing boy looked down at Bianca harshly. "Trust me yet?" He grumbled. Bianca watched him as he retrieved his trident again. Bianca observed his nature, and how alert he was to noise and movement. He was the most gorgeous, well-built tribute of all. And Bianca knew in a second that this flawlessness could only belong to one name. Finnick Odair. She recognized him from one of the games she watched with Peeta and Katniss. Bianca made her decision fast.

"Fine." She muttered, walking over to him. The boy turned, smirking in triumph with his hand out again.

"Finnick Odair." He introduced. Bianca took his hand and stood to her feet.

"I know. Bianca DeSousa." She said.

"I know. We need to move. Mags?" He called, glancing around. Many of the tributes had only just reached the sand, and were pulling themselves up onto it. Bianca and Finnick stood relatively hidden further along the beach. They were the first two to have arrived at the stash of supplies. "Mags." Finnick breathed, helping someone out of the water. It must have been his District partner. To Bianca's surprise, Finnick's District partner was a little old woman who didn't even speak to thank Finnick for waiting for her. Bianca saw her around at training. But she didn't really do much ever. It was now when Bianca realized that she'd found allies. She marched towards them.

"We need to find Peeta." Both Finnick and Bianca said at the same time. Finnick and Bianca stared at each other for a moment. They both had the same mission. Mags, the frail lady, lifted a shaky finger up to the waves. And sure enough, only one tribute remained standing on his metal platform, staring at the waves. Peeta Mellark.

"I'll get him." Finnick said. Bianca pressed a hand to his sculpted chest.

"Whoa, there, buddy." She said, "No way. I'm doing it." She shook her head, approaching the water. Finnick grabbed her.

"No. You stay. I'm from District 4, I'll bring him to safety. Go get Katniss." He ordered. Before Bianca could protest, Finnick had already dived into the waves and was swimming for Peeta. Bianca cursed under her breath and looked back at the, now over-populated, Cornucopia. She spotted another Special Assistance tribute, one that she recognized as a past winner from District 2. Enobaria was her name, if Bianca remembered correctly. Bianca flung a knife in her direction, but Enobaria expected it and dove back into the water. She was alert, Bianca should've remembered that. She saw a single, dark braid rushing from the supplies with a golden bow. Bianca's shouted without thinking.

"Katniss!" She called. The braid spun and the face turned. Katniss saw her, and made a run for it, darting and dodging until she reached the group. "We have allies." Bianca said once Katniss was close enough.

"Who?" She asked quickly.

"The District 4s. And Peeta." She stated, looking to the side, where Mags and Finnick were helping Peeta out of the waves.

"Peeta." Katniss rushed to him, pulling him from the sand. "How's your leg?" She asked.

"Not too bad." Peeta grumbled. He leaned forward and gave her a kiss. "I see we've made allies." He said.

"Yes. Just like Haymitch said." Katniss hauled Peeta's arm over her and pulled him towards the circle of allies.

"We stick together, and don't ever trust those District 1s and 2s." Finnick wiped the blood from his trident on his pants, looking up. "Understood?"

"Vaguely." Bianca shrugged. Finnick raised an eyebrow.

"Vaguely?" He repeated.

"Well, I – " When Bianca turned to face him, his trident was pressed against her throat. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you!" Bianca grunted, gulping against the trident.

"Stop." Peeta ordered, grabbing Finnick's wrist. He glared at him. "What Bianca means is that she used to trust Cato. They lived together for six months."

"Worked together." Bianca corrected in defense. Finnick scowled, yet still managed to look unbelievably attractive doing so, and slowly lowered his weapon.

"We head into the jungle." He said finally.

"Jungle?" Katniss exclaimed in horror. She hadn't noticed. She turned around and glared at the foreign terrain ahead of her. "Jungle. No. No, not jungle." She muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Yes, jungle." Finnick said, with a careless shrug. He pulled out a weapon from a bag he'd been holding, and handed it to Peeta. It was a long, sharp knife. And it was perfect.

"Thanks. We should get going." Peeta stated. "About six are dead so far, and two are in the process of." He must've been watching carefully from his platform where he was away from harm. "We need to find water. And it already looks like there's two other alliances over there." He stated, nodding back to the Cornucopia where two groups of blurry tributes were fighting against the rest of them. District 1's Cashmere and Gloss fought alongside District 2's Enobaria and Cato. The typical Career alliance. District 3's Beetee and Wiress had joined up with Johanna Mason and Blight, both from Special Assistance, and Adam. Bianca felt her stomach drop.

"Don't worry about it." Finnick said reassuringly, now close to Bianca's side. She took a step away from him and eyed him suspiciously.

"Hey. Our lives are still in danger. I suggest we go." Peeta said firmly. Bianca raised an eyebrow, glancing at Peeta. Even Katniss was just as shocked as everyone else to see his bold attitude shining through. "Well? Are you joining me or what? We've got places to be. Sights to see." Peeta called, already heading for the jungle. He spun his knife in his hand and made his way to the front of the group. As they moved into the jungle, Bianca looked back and watched Adam reach forward to pull Wiress to her feet. Wiress was injured. Bianca couldn't tell how bad the wound was but the expression on her face said enough. Adam on the other hand was covered in someone else's blood, with weapons and bags over his shoulders. Bianca turned her gaze to Cato and kissed their six month friendship goodbye. When the two groups at the Cornucopia darted away from each other, Cato and Adam exchanged glances. Adam was trying to tell him something but Blight hauled him away into the jungle. That's when Bianca turned as well. She couldn't bear to look at either of them without feeling betrayed. So she carried on after Finnick, Peeta, Katniss and Mags who led her through the jungle. The games had begun and they were just as twisted as before. But was an understatement.

The games were about to get much, _much_ worse.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for the private messages and the reviews, they're much appreciated. Keep 'em coming! _


	4. Happenings

Revival

**Chapter 4: Happenings **

"Ow! Stop it!" Blight hissed, slamming Adam across the forehead with a heavy bag of supplies.

"Hey!" Adam shouted back, "I'm just trying to help! I'd kill you right now if it weren't for – " Johanna lodged her boot into the side of his jaw.

"Can you shut up?" She snapped, folding her arms. She sat against a tree and stared up at the sky in anticipation. Darkness had been over the arena for hours now, but the Capitol seal hadn't shown yet. It must have been near 1 in the morning or just passed midnight. Adam sat up, rubbing the side of his face.

"You're all idiots and you're mean to me." He grumbled. Johanna couldn't help but snort with laughter. "What?"

"Someone's far passed their fifteenth hour." She said, sharpening her axe. Adam glared at her, muscles tight. Johanna laughed and shook her head.

"So are you." Adam grunted, scowling. Johanna continued grinning until her eyes caught something in the sky at last.

"Here it comes, here it comes!" She announced. Wiress, Beetee, Adam and Johanna sat up straight and stared up at the sky when it brightened with the Capitol seal. District 6 male morphling, District 8 female, all from District 9, District 10's female and Seeder from District 11. That was all for Day 1. Adam sighed in relief, rolling onto his back. Bianca was safe. And so was District 12 and 4, which is all Adam really cared about. Well, them and Cato. There was something Cato needed to know. Something Adam desperately needed to tell him but he couldn't now. Cato was far out of reach.

"…didn't you, Adam?" Blight asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. Adam jumped and looked back at him.

"Didn't I what?" He muttered.

"Didn't you find it odd all the lightning from earlier only struck that one tree over there? And the tolling noise, the one that was like a bell, that sounded twelve times?" He asked. Adam frowned and looked back in the direction of the lightning tree, but it was too far away now to view.

"I mean… I suppose so. I didn't really think about it. I think it's just the Gamemakers trying to scare us. Why'd you ask?" He shrugged. Blight sighed and pointed to Wiress, who was talking to herself.

"This one's been going on about it nonstop." Blight explained. Wiress was muttering so shakily that they could barely understand a word she said, but Beetee didn't seem too bothered.

"Hey, Volts, does she talk to herself often?" Johanna asked, looking at him. Beetee just sighed and shook his head.

"No at all. Must be from the head injury she got at the bloodbath." He uttered. Johanna scowled and sat back again. Adam shrugged and continued poking the dirt with a useless metal tube he received earlier in a parachute. Johanna's eyes widened.

"Adam!" She exclaimed, snatching it from his hands. "Do you know what this is?" She asked, standing to her feet.

"No! What is it? A bomb?" Adam asked.

"That's no bomb I've ever seen." Beetee said, shaking his head.

"No, you idiots!" Johanna bellowed. Her voice echoed through the arena. The five of them became still instantly, aware that her voice probably alerted the others. When no noise followed for another few seconds, they assumed the coast was clear and sighed.

"Well done, Jo." Adam sneered bitterly.

"Look, it's not a bomb. It's a spile." Blight said, now speaking very softly. Johanna pulled out an awl from the belt of her outfit and positioned it against the tree.

"A spile?" Adam almost cringed at the unfamiliar word. He crawled over to Blight and Johanna as she dug the awl into the side of a tree.

"Yes, idiot, a spile. When we were kids we used a spile to get sap out of trees." Johanna explained, pushing her weight onto the awl. Blight helped steady her. Their District knew all about lumber, so Adam trusted that they knew what they were doing.

"What's sap going to do for us?" Adam asked. Johanna rolled her eyes and pulled the awl out, replacing the empty hole with the spile.

"It's not sap, Adam." She murmured, crouching by the spile. Adam stared at it as realization washed over his face.

"You mean it's – " A single droplet of water fell from the tube. Water. Drinking water. Not seawater. They'd spent the whole day without a drop to drink. The five of them immediately took turns at the spile, drinking as much as they could before they were certain they were fully rehydrated. They pulled the spile out, relaxing on the ground just a few meters apart each. Adam and Johanna were the ones who stayed up. They were both as sullen as ever, keeping watch. Johanna looked up at Adam's pale face, as he stared out through a gap in the trees at the Cornucopia. He sighed. His brow was furrowed and he kept biting the inside of his cheek.

"Adam?" Johanna began through the silence. He snapped out of his trance and turned to her.

"What?" He murmured absently. Johanna licked her lips and folded her arms.

"Why didn't you run after her today?" She asked. Adam laughed nervously, shrugging.

"Why didn't I run after who?"

"You know just who, Adam, don't lie to me. I've got an axe and I'm not stupid." Johanna spat. Adam folded his arms, leaning against the tree. He looked out to the Cornucopia again, searching across the water to see if he caught sight of any of them.

"I don't know." He replied. Johanna rolled her eyes at him, setting her axe down. "I just never thought they'd come back for me. And I was so jacked up that I didn't to tell her how I felt."

"Oh, boohoo! Get over it and shut up!"

"Johanna! What the hell?" Adam exclaimed. He dropped his hands down onto his lap. "You ask me about her and tell me to shut up? Make up your mind!" He folded his arms sourly. Johanna merely smirked and chuckled a bit. Adam shook his head, frustrated. Still smirking just as much, Johanna put a foot forward and kicked Adam's shoe.

"Do you love her?" She teased. Adam pushed her foot away, looking back at the Cornucopia.

"I don't know." He said again.

"You don't know anything, do you?" Johanna asked.

"Guess not." He said carelessly. Johanna crawled onto her back and gazed up at the night sky.

"By the way, I'm your love guru from now on." She stated coolly. When Adam turned to her, unamused, she couldn't help but snicker to herself.

"No thanks, Jo." He grumbled, bringing his knees up to his chest. Johanna sighed out of the laughter, looking back at him.

"But on a serious note, if you like a girl, show it. Honestly, you trying to act like a tough guy must really suck for her. You're absolutely brainless." She scolded. Adam licked his lip, looking down at the dirt.

"Okay, can we just drop it and – " He was interrupted when Wiress stirred in her sleep and stared up at the sky, with a finger pointing out towards it. "Jesus!" Adam exclaimed with a jump.

"It's near." Wiress uttered quickly. Johanna raised an eyebrow.

"What's near?" She asked. Wiress turned to her, nodding slowly with her wide, scary eyes.

"Yes. It's near." She whispered. Johanna held Wiress by her shoulders and slowly laid her back down.

"Okay…" She murmured, frowning. Wiress hit the ground but continued to stare up.

"Close. Close to us." She said.

"Man, what's gotten into her?" Adam asked. Just as Johanna was about to make fun of Wiress, they heard the deepest roar of thunder rumble above them, but there was no sign of a spark in the sky, just the noise. They glared up at the night and saw a dark cloud hovering over them. Johanna and Adam squinted, searching for water droplets. They pulled faces when nothing came. "They really need to get their stuff together if it's just rain they're going for." Adam grumbled, hugging his knees to his chest. Johanna's face became sullen at the mention of rain. Before, they used to torture her by covering her in water and electrocuting her. Johanna shook off the memories and gave a one armed shrug instead.

"Maybe they're lazy this year." She muttered, making Adam snort once with laughter. Johanna grinned and glanced back up at the cloud, peering harder. It was faint shade of maroon. "Funny. That's not the normal color for a cloud, is it?" She asked. Adam didn't bother looking up and just shrugged.

"I guess. It's just a cloud, Jo." He said, twirling the spile between his fingers. The thunder came again, but there was no spark whatsoever. They both looked up as Wiress's muttering grew quieter, whispering to herself and shaking her head. The thunder echoed through the arena, leaving them with a cold silence for several seconds before the droplets pattered against the plant life above them. "Finally! The anticipation ends!" Adam exclaimed sarcastically. He shook his head and sat back against a tree. Johanna grinned at him and hauled her axe onto her lap. She pulled down her sleeve and started wiping the dirt off. As she polished the axe scruffily, the droplets approached them. They started hitting the leaves and branches above where they sat, drizzling down the tree's layers. Johanna grinned smugly as she cleaned the sharpest point of her axe, until a drop of red colored liquid plopped onto the side of the weapon.

Thinking she had cut herself by accident, she quickly turned her palm up to her face and checked, but she had no fresh wounds. Johanna frowned, checking the between her fingers as another drop of the substance hit her thumb. She examined it and wiped it off to see her skin. Still no wounds. Johanna went to check her axe, but that now had several of the red droplets on it, and so did her pants. She looked back to see Adam glaring down at his shirt in confusion, now also decorated with the uneven crimson polka dots.

"Adam, what the hell kind of rain is this?" Johanna uttered through her teeth. Adam leaned forward and watched as the substance started running down the tree behind Johanna.

"Something… is _not_ right…" He murmured, swallowing hard.

"It's here." Wiress whispered from their side. Adam caught a droplet on the tip of his finger and instinctively placed it on his tongue. His body immediately rejected the taste and his stomach lurched.

"What is it?" Johanna exclaimed alertly.

"It taste like blood!" Adam gurgled, turning to the side to cough and spit out the substance. Johanna's eyes widened as it started to rain down everywhere, all over their supplies.

"It tastes like blood?" She whispered. Adam looked up as he wiped his lips with his sleeve. Johanna's eyes widened as she began to smell it. Blood-rain. "Adam! It _is_ blood! We need to move! Now, now, now!" She shouted. Adam and Johanna scrambled to awaken Blight and Beetee then pull Wiress to her feet. They grabbed all the supplies they could and started moving.

"Hurry up!" Adam grunted, hauling Beetee along as they darted forward. Beetee was slow and had an injury to his leg from the Cornucopia.

"Adam!" Johanna called. He glanced back to see Johanna tugging Wiress, whose feet refused to move. Her eyes were fixated on the sky. "Can't we just leave her? Who cares if Katniss wants her on her side! She's useless!" Johanna grunted. Adam cursed under his breath and wiped the blood from his chin as he went back.

"We don't have a choice, we have to take her with us! You accompany Beetee with Blight and I'll take Wiress!" He said. Johanna ran to Blight's side and urged Beetee forward. "Wiress! We have to go! Now!" Adam grabbed Wiress by her arm and forced her to follow him to lead at the front of the group. The rain turned into a storm. The clouds opened up and buckets of hot, thick blood came pouring down over them in an instant. It was like they were standing below a giant sift, filled with bodies that were slit at the wrists and neck, draining themselves onto the tributes like a waterfall. The substance painted all the trees, rocks, ground and animals the most vibrant shade of red.

Adam, Wiress, Blight, Beetee and Johanna gasped for air as they blundered forward through the jungle of death. The smell of metal and rotting flesh was so thick that barely any oxygen made it to their lungs. It was just blood. All in the air. You couldn't breathe or talk without getting a mouth full of the disgusting substance. It was pouring down and soaking them into the jungle floor, drowning them. Their clothes were drenched to the skin with the stuff. With a hand shielding his eyes, Adam spotted a clear line distinguishing the end of the blood cloud.

"Guys!" He turned around, searching for the trio that were supposedly behind him. But there was only Beetee who hobbled alone, trying his best to carry on. There was no sign of Johanna or Blight. "Where are they?" Adam roared furiously. Beetee gasped for air, unable to reply. Adam shook his head and shoved Wiress into Beetee's arms. He thrust a finger out towards the safer area. "Go! Stay there!" He shouted over the sound of the rain, now coming down so hard that all other noises became muted. Beetee nodded and put an arm over Wiress, leading her forward. Adam looked around and scanned the jungle, now all one solid dark crimson color. He spotted Johanna by a tree, where she was hunched on all fours and shaking. As Adam ran towards her he also noticed her body lurching violently, vomiting whatever she had in her system.

"Johanna!" Adam called, but he was barely audible through the storm. He paused in his steps when he saw Blight's body sprawled on the jungle floor. He wasn't moving but the canon hadn't fired yet. Johanna lurched again, and her vomit became horrifically acidic. The blood-rain was choking her. "Johanna!" Adam rushed to her and grabbed her by her shoulders, but she forced him away, coughing.

"Leave me!" She pleaded.

"No!" Adam protested, grabbing her again.

"No! No, just… just, don't…" She whined.

"Look, I can do this!" Adam bellowed, pulling her up against him. Johanna gave in and slapped a hand to his back. He pulled her up as her nails dug into his shoulder. Her legs failed to carry her onwards so Adam had no choice but to hold her tight and pull her forward himself. They plundered through the jungle as the blood splattered against them by the bucket load. Johanna clung onto Adam viciously, gasping and coughing. And then suddenly, as if by magic, their skin was untouched. Adam managed to pull them out from under the blood cloud and into the safer area.

Johanna shoved him away and collapsed back onto the ground, where her stomach lurched again and the acidic substance launched up her throat and onto the jungle floor. Adam forced himself back into the blood-rain, where he staggered uneasily to find Blight. He knelt down by his body and unzipped his jacket. Adam tore open his shirt and felt Blight's red stained chest for a heartbeat. He found it just as it slowed. Within seconds Blight's chest held no such rhythm. Just as Adam was about to try restarting the vital organ, he noticed a mark on Blight's forehead. Adam turned, glancing in the direction Blight's feet were facing. He peered at the area ahead before picking up a rock and tossing it that way. And sure enough, the rock shot right back. Blight had run head first into a force field. The canon fired.

Adam shut his eyes and huddled over the Blight's body. He sat there, shielding his own face from the blood storm as he muttered his goodbyes against Blight's chest. He finally pulled away and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Blight." He grumbled through the blood-rain, patting Blight's shoulder. Adam stood to his feet and jogged through the jungle, reaching the safer area again.

"Is he gone?" Beetee asked when Adam arrived. Adam nodded, spitting.

"Yeah, he's dead." He confirmed, pressing his back to a tree as he stared at the blood-rain just meters away. There was a clear line dividing the safe area from the maroon-colored cloud above. Why did it stop like that? It was like the Gamemakers chose to only keep the rain there. Adam looked to the right and saw that Beetee was cleaning the blood off himself with a moist leaf, whereas Wiress was just standing there looking up at the clear sky above them and muttering things to herself again. Breathing heavily, Adam turned to his left to see Johanna on all fours, shivering and whimpering. He instantly bubbled with anger.

"Why did you act like that? Why did you just give up?" He spat through his huffing. Beetee looked back the two of them, panting and covered head to toe in blood. Adam kicked the side of a tree, chipping off a branch with his boot in sheer frustration and anger. He glared at Johanna. "What did you tell me back in the Capitol, Jo? Huh? What did you always tell me?" He bellowed. Johanna shook her head, limbs trembling, as her face distorted with tears. "You said to never give up! That no matter what happens you keep fighting and fighting and fighting! When the going gets tough, where do the tough go?" He questioned, leaning towards her.

"Adam, I – "

"They get going, Jo! When the going gets tough, the tough get going!" He finished, glaring at her with wide eyes. "So why?" He asked, shaking now. "Why did you just give up and ask me to leave you?" At this, Johanna sprung up from her hands.

"You know just why, Adam!" She yelled back. "You do! You know just why!"

"No, I don't! Enlighten me, Johanna Mason!"

"Because of the rain!" She shoved his shoulders, sending him against a tree. He glared at her furiously. "Because of the liquid! The moisture! The… water…" She trailed off. Adam's face softened as he remembered the torture used on her. He should have thought about it earlier. Johanna shook her head. It was strange seeing her cry. It was something Adam never imagined would happen. "It's just like you with… whips." She said, saying the last part quietly. Adam's brow furrowed at the word left her mouth. He licked bottom lip, before tasting the blood again. He coughed and spat it out, shivering when he realized that the blood was drying fast.

"We need to get back to the saltwater." He grunted suddenly. He looked up at his allies. "Where is it, Beetee?" he asked. Beetee pointed sideways, fully aware of where they were.

"Not far." He responded.

"Good." Adam said with a nod. "We should go there now." He said, tightening his bag strap over his chest. Just as he began to walk forward, Beetee grabbed his shoulder. "What is it?"

"We can't approach at this angle." He stated.

"Why not?"

"The Careers might be watching our side of the jungle as we speak, they'd see us if we left from here. We have to go further down." Beetee explained. The Careers meant that Cato was there. Adam had to talk to him. Cato, Cato, Cato. He glanced in the direction of the water, then back at Beetee. He knew that even so, they couldn't risk it.

"Then I guess we'll have go further down. It's not far, anyway." He sighed. Beetee nodded and grabbed his things from the floor. He took Wiress by her wrist and pulled her forward, using a comforting voice to coax her. Johanna stood still, watching as the blood rain continued to drown the jungle just meters away from them. Adam touched her shoulder delicately. "It's over." He grumbled. Johanna looked at him worryingly, sniffing as she wiped her cheeks. She swallowed hard and put a hand on Adam's shoulder as well, pointing a finger to his face.

"I never cried." She warned, wagging the finger at him. Adam swatted it away, grinning. Johanna removed herself from him and followed Beetee and Wiress through the jungle.

"Sure you didn't." He teased, jogging to the front of the group. They traveled for awhile, cutting their way through the leaves and greenery. The blood on their skin was drying fast, and their wet clothes were making them unbearably cold. They were all thirsty again and starving as well. They walked and walked, having to constantly nurse Beetee's wounded leg or string Wiress along.

"Tick-tock." Wiress started muttering over and over, driving both Johanna and Adam out of their minds. After nearly forty minutes of this, Adam's blade sliced a branch clear off and he froze, staring forward. He heard someone else's breath up ahead. He held a hand up, stopping the allies behind him instantly.

"What is it?" Beetee asked. Adam pressed a finger to his lips and leaned forward. He turned his head, checking the area. Suddenly, an arm came sweeping in from the left and a sword pressed hard against Adam's throat.

"Don't move!" A deep voice snapped. Adam's eyes widened as he froze in horror. His allies jumped scrambled backwards. "Stay right where you are and we won't kill you all." The voice said. All Adam could see was the strong, muscular arm just a few feet away from him, and the sword grasped tightly in the tribute's fingers. "Don't… move… or you're dead." The tribute ordered. Adam swallowed hard against the blade, licking his lips anxiously. Suddenly, there was a snort of laughter and the sword hovered away from his neck. "I can't! I can't do it! It's too funny!" Came an unsteady, cheery voice. The attacker emerged handsomely from the bushes, red with laughter.

"Fin!" Adam shouted, with wide eyes. Finnick shook his head, barely breathing as he chortled.

"I had to use a sword instead of a trident, otherwise you'd have known it was me! You should've seen your face! I got you so bad!" He gasped, holding his arms out to Adam.

"I hate you so much." Adam grumbled as he ran into the brotherly embrace. Finnick laughed as he crushed Adam in his arms. He looked back, grinning.

"See! Look at this teddy bear! Harmless!" He called.

"Finnick Odair, you handsome bastard." Johanna grumbled, shaking her head as she smirked slightly. Finnick grinned back at her, but it quickly faded when he saw the state they were in.

"Hey, what are you guys covered it? It looks and smells like – augh!" He shoved Adam away. "Is that blood?" He exclaimed.

"Oh… sorry, I forgot." Adam muttered, looking down at himself and the wet red patch on Finnick's chest. Finnick cringed, as his alliance ruffled in the bushes. Finnick looked back at them and waved for them to come over.

"Come on! Didn't you hear me the first time?" He asked, waving again. He looked back at Johanna, Beetee and Wiress. "How'd you end up with this lot? And where's Blight?" He asked. Katniss, Peeta, Mags and Bianca slowly emerged from the bushes, weapons out still just in case.

"Blight's dead. Ran into a force field." Johanna said. Finnick's face softened.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Peeta ran into one, too, but I managed to get his heart beating again." He said.

"We had no hope with Blight. He ran into it head first and the blood-rain was practically smothering him. It's unfair though. He left Adam and I with these two." Johanna grunted, gesturing back to Wiress and Beetee. Beetee sat uselessly on the floor, probably unconscious, and Wiress was spinning in circles. Adam's eyes met with Bianca's suddenly and his heart leaped.

"Bianca." He breathed. She snapped in his direction, with her knife held up at his chin as if she didn't see him earlier. She blinked.

"Adam?" Bianca returned, looking just as puzzled as she lowered her knife. "You're covered in…"

"Blood, I know." He said softly, looking down at himself. "It was literally raining blood back there."

"There was blood-rain?" Peeta asked, horrified. Johanna and Adam nodded.

"Yeah. We've been walking around to get to the other side of the Cornucopia to wash it off." Adam explained. He stared back at Bianca. Six months. She hadn't changed a bit except for the fact that she seemed emptier and her hair was longer. Bianca stepped towards him, looking up into the bright blue eyes that shone through his crimson stained flesh, ragged clothes and hair. Adam gulped and shrugged. "I'd hug you, but…" He trailed off when Bianca softly pulled her arms around his neck and rested against his muscular structure. Adam paused, blinking in confusion for a moment. He then bit his lip and placed his arms delicately at her waist

"Passed your fifteenth hour, aren't you?" Bianca asked. Adam grinned faintly.

"Kind of." He said, even if he wasn't sure how Bianca even knew about the phases.

"Good. It's about time." Bianca smiled a bit, touching his soaking shoulder with the tip of her index finger. "You smell disgusting." She uttered suddenly.

"Trust me, you do not smell any better." Adam teased. Bianca's grin widened. She pulled away from Adam's shoulder and looked up at him.

"It's good to see you've still got your humor. And you've grown, too. I was worried, you know." She said. Adam smiled.

"I know." He replied. Seeing Bianca smile again was much better than seeing daylight, even after all those months of darkness. She cleared her throat suddenly, snapping Adam back into reality.

"So," She began, looking back at Finnick. "Where to?" She asked. Adam sucked on the inside of his cheek, realizing that he probably deserved to be ignored after the way he treated her before his fifteenth hour.

"I don't know, wherever these red monsters are headed, I suppose. Volts doesn't want to waste the fresh water on washing up. We'll have to head back to the beach, and away from the Careers." Finnick said. Wiress flung herself against Finnick, who caught her in his toned arms.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock." She said, almost collapsing.

"What's wrong with Nuts and Volts?" Finnick asked, cringing slightly as he let go of her, letting her stumble back to Beetee.

"Nuts got a head wound from the bloodbath and I think it's driving her mad. And Volts over there's got a pretty bad leg wound, too." Johanna explained, crossing her arms. She instantly unfolded them again, uncomfortable with the stickiness of the blood. Finnick poked her arm and examined the red liquid on his fingertip. Just as he did so, he Katniss pulled back an arrow, alerting the others.

"Tribute? Where?" Peeta grunted, reaching for his sword. Katniss's eyes narrowed as she lowered her weapon, staring ahead in confusion.

"What? What is it? Speak, you brainless idiot!" Johanna pestered, thinking of the blood-rain again. Katniss frowned as she stared over Johanna's shoulder. She raised her hand and pointed.

"What is that?" She grumbled. They followed her gaze and noticed some thick fog rolling down a small hill, near where the blood-rain came from earlier. It couldn't have been the blood again, seeing as the blood-cloud was maroon, not white.

"It's just fog." Johanna sighed, rolling her eyes. Katniss glanced at her, angry.

"Hang on, Jo. Katniss has a point…" Finnick interjected, with an arm between the two of them. The nine tributes looked up and peered at the fog more carefully this time. It had tendrils reaching out, curling against the surroundings to pull itself forward on the land. Wiress spun to a stop, looking directly into the fog. The white, wispy mist that swept over the land ahead of them at a measured pace, as if it was human. Far away from them, a tribute jolted up in his sleep and scrambled to stand. At first, Adam's main concern was that him and his group had walked right passed him and missed their opportunity to kill him. But the next concern of his had hit everyone else first: what the tribute doing? He started running from the fog, whimpering and gasping frantically.

"What in the name of…" Johanna leaned forward. A sickening sweet smell filled the air, catching them all off guard. The smell sent an unpleasant chill rushing through each of them.

"That isn't normal fog…." Katniss breathed watching along with the others as the male tribute stumbled with an injury to his leg. Wiress's eyes lit up as the fog dawned on him.

"Yes. Tick-tock, tick-tock." She sang, hobbling forward.

"Something isn't right! Something about that fog is just…" Finnick's voice raised then trailed off shakily. Wiress smirked.

"Tick… Tock." In a second the fog snatched the tribute by its tendrils and twisted him, jerking his limbs like rubber as a shrill scream escaped his lips.

"What is that?" Peeta breathed, eyes widening. The male tribute's body dropped to the ground, and the canon fired. Adam scrambled backwards.

"Okay that is _not_ fog!" He shouted. Johanna cursed and grabbed Wiress, hauling her to her feet while Adam whacked Beetee conscious. "Volts, get up! Get up right now!" He ordered. Johanna held up a hand and her eyes widened. Her skin started to crack and blister all the way down to her wrist.

"Guys…" She whispered. The blistering slowly began to crawl up her arm. "Guys!" She screamed, running suddenly. They stared at her in horror, seeing the wound on her arm. "It's the fog! Run!" She screeched, grabbing Wiress's arm. The nine of them charged through the jungle. Mags was on Finnick's back, Wiress was on Johanna's, Beetee was on Adam's, Katniss held Peeta's hand and Bianca lead the group up front. They were slicing and pushing anything in their way, trying their hardest to move forward. The fog was already hot on their trail and the obstacles within the jungle were only slowing them down. Sores and blisters spread over their bodies, leaving their skin raw and blazing. Muscles stopped working and parts of them sagged down. Their limbs twitched in puppet-like movements.

The group dashed through the jungle, glancing back occasionally at the fog. Their hearts were racing and their minds were on fire. That fog could kill them in seconds. They all saw what it did to the other tribute. There was no time for apologies, no time for chit-chat, no time for kissing. Just run and run fast. Branches and buzzing insects thrashed into their view, whipping their blistering skin and blurring their vision. Rocks and tree stumps tripped them up but they desperately scrambled to their feet. There were gasps and screams amongst the nine of them that crashed through the jungle as quickly as possible. Finnick picked up the effects of the fog directly to his arm muscles and face. And suddenly, Mags hopped off of him with a kiss and began hobbling the opposite direction.

"Mags?" Katniss called as she passed her. In a split second, Mags was engulfed by the fog and it shook her to death. She twisted and gurgled until the canon fired. "Finnick?" Katniss cried, but he didn't respond and only swayed slightly on the spot, trying to go back as well. The rest continued forward, but when Katniss reached for Peeta's hand she realized that he was already leaning against a tree and wheezing for air. "Peeta. Peeta we have to move." She breathed, grabbing his hand.

"I can't. My leg." He uttered through the swelling. Katniss looked up at the fog as it approached and her heart raced even wilder.

"Peeta! We have to move!" She shouted. Peeta shook his head as the effects of the fog began to worsen. Finnick swept Katniss away with a brush of his strong arm, and hauled Peeta onto his back.

"Go!" Finnick gurgled. Katniss didn't question him. There was no time to waste. She followed after the group, now growing more tired than anything. They trudged onward as their surroundings twirled around them and their useless bodies dragged to the beach. The only thing helping them forward is their animalistic lust for survival; a final resort. Low grunts left their lips as pulled on and on, ugly and distorted. Finally, they reached sand. By then their bodies had lost the will to work. Finnick was the first to give in. He collapsed forward onto his front with Peeta still on top of him, unable to move. He moaned in agony. Katniss tripped over the heap of bodies and rolled over by herself, face-down. Then Bianca fell, right by Katniss's side. The two of them overlapped limbs, no longer having control over them. Johanna and Wiress were next, and the last to fall were Adam and Beetee.

No one had the strength or control to move anymore. They were all sprawled out on the sand. Warm saliva dribbled through their lips and gasps ripped through their chests. This was it. This was where they'd die. Together, strangled by the intoxicating fog. Adam used all his strength to try and reach for Bianca, but his fingers barely lifted an inch. The fog approached and they all mentally said their goodbyes, while some dug forward and tried to crawl away. But the tendrils were gone. The fog surrounded them in silence, halted and thick. It was just a wall of fog, and nothing more.

"It's stopped." Katniss was the first to say in a muffled voice. No one replied. No one actually could. They laid there in silence knowing one thing and one thing alone. They were alive. They couldn't move, or talk, but they were alive. It was here where Adam noticed a pattern. The blood rain stopped abruptly, too. And now so did the fog. Were the Gamemakers sparing them? Were they just in it for the torture and struggle, not the actual death? The idea was worrying.

Peeta uttered something that made them look up at the trees, where orange monkeys sat watching them. Strange how the Gamemakers would have monkeys. Wouldn't that be an easy target for food? The topic didn't matter. What mattered was what Finnick and Katniss started doing. As the tributes laid uselessly in the sand, Finnick and Katniss crawled to the saltwater and were dipping their limbs in. Nobody else was sure why they were doing it, but they still dragged themselves over with all their strength to see what the commotion was about. It didn't take long for them to catch on. 'Rubbing salt in a wound' had become their most valued phrase yet. Little by little, the tributes started dipping their body parts into the saltwater. A milky substance erupted from their wounds, purging their systems of the poison. The only ones unable to do so were Peeta, Wiress and Adam. Their injuries from the fog were so severe that none of them could find the strength or will to roll themselves into the water. They laid by the shore, staring at the sky as they neared their deaths. Once their fellow tributes regained a certain amount of control over their bodies, they started to help.

Finnick collected large shells to pour the water over Peeta, Wiress and Adam. Katniss and Bianca assisted him. Being in the open air allowed the poison to leave Peeta, Wiress and Adam's body the same way it came in. As white wispy fog, disappearing into the air. But Bianca didn't help Adam or Wiress. Her focus was completely on Peeta; her mission. And soon all of them regained ability to see, to hear, talk and to move. They all dove into the salty water at some point, making sure they were purged entirely.

After awhile, Bianca sat swaying with the warm breeze behind Adam, who was on his back facing the sky. She looked at Adam and he looked up at her. His eyes were bright as blue ice while hers were colored like the subtleness of the earth. They stared for a moment. It was the same game they'd been playing since the moment they met each other. _I stare at you, you stare at me. We don't speak._ Adam's throat was burning when he tried to open his chapped lips, ruined from the fog. A small croak came up, making Bianca's sympathy grow as she reached out and touched his hair delicately. Adam's teeth were chattering.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted at the Capitol." He murmured. Bianca smiled faintly.

"Yeah, I know." She said. Adam grinned slightly, and reached out to touch her knuckles with his index finger.

"I did miss you. And I am glad you... returned." He tried to choose his words wisely, knowing that Panem was watching somewhere somehow. Bianca laughed softly.

"Yeah, I know." She repeated with a shrug. Adam smiled faintly and sat up, facing her as a soft breeze went past. He stared at her for a bit. It'd been six months and Adam wasn't quite satisfied with the little amount of time he'd had to look at her so far. It was refreshing to remember what it felt like to be calm. Careless. Safe. The sound of her voice, and the smile that she wore, it always brought Adam back to that. "What?" Bianca muttered, breaking through his thoughts. Adam blinked, and grinned to himself.

"Nothing." He said, poking his fingers in the sand. Bianca smiled, blushing slightly as she watched him. Johanna rolled her eyes and decided to get back to business, standing to her feet.

"So," She announced. She strutted forward, hands on her hips. Johanna really knew how to put on a show. "Anyone up for getting some water?" She asked, looking around at the fog tormented tributes for a response.

"Yeah, I'll help." Peeta muttered. Johanna pulled him to his feet and the ventured to the nearby jungle.

"We should go as well, and hide or something. Who knows where the Careers are." Katniss suggested.

"Not just yet." Finnick sighed, stretching. Katniss raised an eyebrow as he dove in again. For a few moments, they all sat there and watched Finnick swim around. It was like watching an animal come back to life. It was amusing and beautiful. He pulled himself up again and shook the water off like a dog. The seven of them packed up their belongings and set off to find Johanna and Peeta in the jungle. Once the two of them were barely in view, Katniss became alert. Something wasn't right.

"Wait." She uttered. The six others around her, excluding Johanna and Peeta who were out of earshot, slowly came to a halt. Katniss could sense something horribly, horribly frightening about the very spot they were in.

"What is it?" Finnick asked boldly. Katniss placed a finger to her lips. She could sense a mass of bodies above them. She didn't know how they got there, or what they were, but they were there and they were watching them.

"They're above us." She whispered. Just as heads were about to turn, Katniss shook her own. "Don't look up. They're above us and they're surrounding us. We need to get Johanna and Peeta and move. Fast." She stated. They looked between each other, now sensing the presences of other life forms above them as well. The bad vibes infected each of them instantly. Something was _incredibly_ wrong.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for the delay, I've been traveling. Thanks for the reviews :)_


	5. The Arena

Revival

**Chapter 5: The Arena **

Beetee, Adam, Finnick, Bianca and even Wiress stood completely still as Katniss skillfully weaved her way between them and made her way to Peeta and Johanna. She paused again and spoke softly to Finnick.

"Get Nuts and Volts out now, they'll be no use if something sets those things off." She said, gesturing to the creatures hanging above them. In a second, Finnick returned to the District 3s and began leading them back to the beach. Katniss continued forward. Peeta looked up from the awl and gave her a sweet smile. She attempted to return it, but it fell flat.

"Peeta. Johanna." She began calmly. Johanna glanced up at her, unamused. "I need your help with something."

"Okay, sure. Just give us a second, something's not exactly working right." Peeta said, pressing into the tree. Had the water run dry in this area? Was it because of the mass of bodies hanging above them? Katniss gulped and tapped Peeta's shoulder.

"No, I need the both of you to come with me, now." She said, still speaking in a slow, measured voice. Johanna frowned at her.

"All right, listen here, Fire-Girl, you don't – " Katniss slapped a hand over Johanna's mouth before she could continue.

"Move with me right now before you startle them." She uttered sharply. It was then when Peeta and Johanna remained completely still, and glanced at one another. Katniss slowly removed her hand from Johanna's lips and took a quiet step back.

"Okay." Peeta murmured, maintaining a soft voice. The three of them began moving towards the rest of the group, keeping their eyes forward. Finnick had arrived again and the District 3s were gone, just as well. The group made their way to the beach and didn't speak a single word. Bianca's heart was thudding hard as she could hear the masses gliding through the trees above them, following them. They were nearly five yards away from the beach when Johanna and Peeta felt it. They sensed the heated bodies hovering all those meters above them, and their eyes flashed up for just a second. But that small glance was like setting off a bomb. In less than a second, the monkeys came pouring down the trees, exploding everywhere as they shrieked and screamed. Their bright orange fur was in hackles They had long fangs and claws that were sharp as anything. Only one word registered within the group of tributes, and Katniss was the first to register it.

"Mutts!" She cried as she started launching her arrows into every moving ball of orange fur she laid eyes on. Just as the group of tributes formed a circle with their backs to one another, the Capitol drug in both Johanna and Adam activated. The screams of the monkeys now fought against the guttural roars escaping both Adam and Johanna's lips as they started thrashing the targets down one after the other. The whole group fought with their backs against the another, except for Adam and Johanna, who were charging after the monkeys up-close. A crazed mutt swooped down from the trees and onto Johanna's back with bloodshot eyes. Adam instinctively thrashed his sword between the mutt and Johanna, almost skinning her in the process. The mutt fell, now without forearms, and sunk its teeth into Johanna's calf as a final resort. She didn't even notice. She was still busy attacking the other mutts with her sharp, bloodied axe. Adam dropped his sword and pulled the monkey off of Johanna by pure force, almost sending her almost off her feet entirely. Adam tossed the armless mutt away like a tennis ball, and retrieved his sword as another static orange ball of fur jumped on his shoulder.

The monkey bared its fangs and closed in on its target. Adam's neck. Alerted, Johanna sliced its head clear off. Adam jumped, staring as the head thudded into a pile of leaves. He and Johanna smirked at each other before turning their backs to one another. They continued fighting like the unstoppable duo they were. Katniss's hand soon came across her final arrow, which she shot straight into an oncoming mutt's temple. She backed away to the group and pulled out her knife. Her eyes darted sideways just for a moment, catching a glimpse of the full sheath of arrows at Peeta's side. "Peeta, your arrows!" Katniss ordered. Peeta acted immediately. He slid off his sheath, making himself defenseless. A mutt took that very moment to its advantage and came charging towards him, dodging Katniss's blade. Now even she was without a weapon. She wanted to scream for help, but the sound of metal pounding against flesh confirmed that the rest of the group were preoccupied in battle. Katniss swallowed hard as she made the decision. She wanted to jump in front of him. She'd save him. She'd let the mutt take her down so that Peeta could live. But somebody else appeared out of the bushes and beat her to it. The female morphling from District 6 darted in Peeta's way, screaming, and grabbed the monkey in her bare hands. The mutt's teeth sunk into her chest as she shrieked in horror. Peeta dropped his sheath and started stabbing the mutt until its fangs disengaged from the morphling's chest and died. Katniss took Peeta's arrows and the group stood as a unit again, facing the monkeys.

"Come on, then! Come on!" Peeta growled furiously, taunting the mutts with his knife. But something caused the monkeys to quickly withdraw, moving at their impossibly fast pace and back into the trees. It sounded like the Gamemakers were asking them to leave them alone, saying that what they'd done was enough. Adam and Johanna weren't done yet, oh no, not even close. They'd sliced off the limbs of at least seven mutts earlier, leaving them alive but unable to dart away on the Gamemakers' command. Peeta, Katniss, Finnick and Bianca's heads turned to the two of them slashing in animalistic fury. Grunting and tearing the monkeys apart in the most brutal way, ripping them open and letting their blood splatter. Johanna and Adam crushed and slaughtered each of the mutts till they were unrecognizable. The jungle began to wash over with the sound of nature. The mutts were more than dead. But still, the fury didn't end. Johanna swung her axe over and over as Adam heaved his sword into the scraps of lifeforms plastered to the ground.

"Stop." Bianca murmured suddenly. Katniss reached out to Bianca's arm, but she shook her off. "Stop! Stop it, Adam! Johanna! They're dead! They're all dead!" She yelled, shaking with frustration and horror. Adam and Johanna continued bringing their weapons down on the deceased beings like the battle had only just begun.

"Let them be." Katniss whispered. Peeta sighed angrily and shook his head in irritation. He turned away and knelt down by the dying morphling who jumped in front him. He stroked her hair back.

"Guys, stop." Finnick grunted through his teeth. Adam and Johanna were conflicted. A part of them was slowing, trying to stop, but the prevailing part of them was desperate to kill. Bianca's hand flinched to her belt, where she retrieved her bloodied knife.

"Bianca," Peeta uttered as Bianca approached the duo. "Bianca! What are you – " Before he could finish, she sliced a clean cut into Adam's shoulder. He spun around with his sword clutched tightly in his palm, and charged towards her, blinded. Finnick jumped between them vigilantly and grabbed a handful of Adam's shirt.

"Adam!" He snapped, shaking Adam vigorously. The sharp exclamation and gesture took the wind right out of him. Adam paused, glaring up into Finnick's handsome face with a look of complete misunderstanding. Bianca stood there staring at Finnick's back and breathing carefully. Adam's faced morphed to failure as he sunk away Finnick, looking as if he was in pain. Katniss sighed, and looked down at Peeta.

"Get her. We'll cover you." Katniss told him. Peeta hauled the skeletal morphling woman into his firm arms and carried her back to the beach as they rest of them followed. Bianca huddled closer to Finnick, glancing back at Adam and Johanna, who both had nothing but darkness riddled all over their faces. Bianca turned back, folding her arms insecurely. When they reached the sand, Peeta laid the morphling down and Katniss cut open her clothes to investigate her wounds. Adam and Johanna automatically dropped their weaponry into the sand, and marched away from the group.

"Hey, where are you guys going?" Katniss panted. Adam and Johanna ignored her and continued forward.

"To calm down." Finnick said, "Without it, they'd probably kill us all. And from my understanding, they don't want to do that." He explained, sighing. They watched as Adam paused at the end of the beach, looking down at the white shimmers at the tip of the clear waves. Clenching his jaw, Adam dropped to his knees, groaned, and fell forward into the saltwater. Johanna was hesitant. She expressed dread in every crease of her as she knelt down onto the sand. She stared at the water in fear, like she always did. Adam popped up from the water, wiping his face messily. He looked softer now. But no less conflicted. He swam to the edge of the beach and took Johanna's hand, helping her into the water cautiously.

The rest of the group sat around the morphling girl, turning their attention to her. Even Wiress and Beetee came and sat down, keeping her company in her final moments. Her wounds were small, but very deep. The mutt probably punctured something vital in her. She was a sickly color, and was skin and bones. She looked just as insane as her actions were with the mutts. Her eyes were wide in their deep sockets and her spidery fingers were trembling even when they grabbed Katniss's hand, clasping onto her tightly. All of them wanted to say something to her. Anything. Anything to make her realize that she was not alone, she was with friends, and that she was going to die but it was going to be all right. Nothing came out. Only stares of sympathy and confusion. She gasped for air like a fish out of water. The noise sounded excruciating, like her lungs were filling with blood. And suddenly, Peeta's lips parted, spilling the most unfamiliar sentences.

_"With my paint box at home, I can make every color imaginable. Pink. As pale as a baby's skin. Or as deep as rhubarb. Green like spring grass. Blue that shimmers like ice on water."_ He told her. The morphling looked up at him, and into his bright eyes. She held onto every word he said. Adam's upper body emerged from the waves, holding Johanna in his arms as she floated in the water. Adam had a vacant look across his face, like he was in utter disbelief and agony from what he'd done back in the jungle. Adam caught a thick crimson substance thinning out in the water near him. He frowned and followed the blood to Johanna's calf. Her wound. From the mutt earlier. Adam gulped hard and swooped Johanna up in his arms, lifting her out of the water with a grunt. The group looked up at him and scattered to make way for Johanna as Adam laid her down by the morphling. Peeta licked his lips and continued vividly.

_"One time, I spent three days mixing paint until I found the right shade for sunlight on white fur. You see, I kept thinking it was yellow, but it was much more than that. Layers of all sorts of color. One by one."_ Peeta said. By then, the morphling's agonizing huffs for air had slowed to smaller gurgles. Adam sat quietly by Johanna's side with his knife out. He'd been about to cut open the fabric on her knee when she stopped him midway through Peeta's speech. She wanted to listen. They all did. Peeta's voice was as calming as the breeze. His voice was so soft and delicate. He spoke to the morphling was like he'd known her all his life. He was loving, caring. He'd even remembered that she liked to paint. The morphling patted some of her blood with the tip of her finger, making painting swirls on her skin. Peeta grinned, nodding slightly before his face lit up enthusiastically with more to say.

_"I haven't figured out a rainbow yet. They come so quickly and leave so soon. I never have enough time to capture them. Just a bit of blue here or purple there. And then they fade away again. Back into the air."_ He said. The morphling was mesmerized by him. It looked like she'd just discovered what happiness was. What love was. What passion was. It was like she had been reborn on her deathbed. She stared up at Peeta like he was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen. Maybe she was right. Maybe Peeta Mellark was the most amazing thing any of them had ever seen. With her bloodied finger, she lifted up a hand and drew some kind of flower on Peeta's cheek. Peeta thanked her and told her it was beautiful, even if they all knew he couldn't see it. The morphling's face lit up with a smile before she shivered tremendously. Peeta's face clicked to concern, like he was afraid of losing her. Afraid of losing someone he didn't even know. In a second, her facial expression was blank and she sunk into the sand. The canon fired, and morphling from District 6 was gone.

They all sat there in silence for a moment, watching as her grip fell from Katniss's hand. Peeta licked his lips, looking in pain, and reached out to delicately shut the morphling's eyes. He pulled her up into his arms again and waded out into the water, letting her float away. He sat back with the rest of the group and watched as the waves carried her off to the materializing hovercraft. Finnick was already back in the jungle, muttering that he'd retrieve their weapons. Adam sliced open the fabric at Johanna's knee and observed her wounds. There were two clear teeth marks on either side of her calf, indicating that the mutt's fangs pierced her calf and came out on the other side, goind right through her. Running out of ideas, Adam looked to Katniss. But both the girl and boy on fire were lost this time.

"We should just leave it." Johanna grunted.

"It'll get infected." Katniss murmured.

"Got any better ideas?" She snapped. Johanna rolled her eyes and swung sideways. She clung to Adam's shirt, trying hauling herself up. An agonizing whimper left her lips, wavering through her teeth. Adam's eyes widened as he pulled her upright. He frantically looked at her pained expression.

"It'll be fine, trust me." He told her quickly. Bianca felt a pang of jealously rush through her, making her shift uneasily.

"Don't get sappy with me, Thirteen." Johanna grumbled, slapping his face with whatever strength she had left. He blinked, confused. Finnick returned from the jungle with his arms full of bloodied arrows and throwing knives.

"Thought we'd need these." He said, dropping them by Katniss and Bianca in the sand.

"Thanks." Katniss muttered, beginning to sort the knives from the arrows. Finnick's face sunk when he caught a glimpse of Johanna's leg. He immediately knelt down by Adam to stare at it with him. The three Special Assistance cellmates glanced between one another, knowing that this wound wasn't just a skim. It was bad. Fatal, even. But nobody had the guts to say it. Even if it as Johanna after all. Finnick licked his lips into a light smile, and laid a hand on Johanna's shoulder.

"I know you. You'll be all right, Jo." He said. Johanna grinned a bit as Finnick swallowed hard and stood abruptly, walking off. Her smile faded quickly when she looked down again.

"Johanna." Adam uttered. She glanced up at him. He could see the worry pulsating in her eyes. "You. You'll be all right." He said slowly. Johanna licked her lips and nodded. "Now lay back." Adam grumbled, pressing her shoulders down. She laid down on the sand with a grunt and a wheeze.

"We should all get some rest." Peeta stated, looking back at everyone else.

"I agree. I'll keep a lookout." Finnick said as he gathered his tridents.

"Thanks, Finnick." Peeta returned. Finnick smiled momentarily before facing the water. His mind was clouded for whatever reason, and he needed a bit for space. By the time Katniss curled up to Peeta, Wiress and Beetee were already out cold. Johanna was by Finnick's side on her back, moving uncomfortably, unable to get any rest.

"I might have to join you on night duty." She said.

"No, you should get some rest, Johanna." He told her. Johanna looked up at him as his eyes locked with hers. He saw nothing but pain and hopelessness in her usually cold eyes.

"I can't." She uttered softly. Finnick looked down at her wound, still fresh with blood. He gulped and glanced up at her.

"Okay." He said, nodding. Adam stared up at the sky as he laid on his back. They'd lost Blight and Mags so quickly, and Johanna was already injured terribly. The outcome was looking worse and worse with each hour that passed. Bianca dipped a final knife into the water, cleaning off the monkey blood before it could dry on her blade. She wiped it off and placed it back in the black sheath she took from the Cornucopia. When she looked up, she saw Adam with his elbows in the sand, watching her. His gaze was a mix of something apologetic and genuine yet hopeless. Bianca knew that Blight's death and Johanna's injury had shaken him. This only proved that Adam was still Adam. The sixteen year old boy from Toronto who had a thing for food, video games, bass guitar and brunettes. The boy who had more common sense than anyone Bianca ever knew. The boy who struggled to do so much as look at his own reflection every morning before school. The boy who never backed down and wasn't afraid to show how he felt. The boy who cared. The boy on fire.

* * *

In the morning, Katniss was the first to wake up to a parachute, filled with medication for the fog injuries. They all applied it, slathering ointment over their skin. It looked disgusting. All of them, even Finnick, looked hideous. Finnick received a parachute, too. It was seaweed bread from his own District. That morning they all sat around, letting the ointment do its work, and ate shellfish and bread.

A rumbling sound stormed through the arena suddenly, catching them all off guard. The group looked forward to where the sound was coming from, and saw a wedge of the arena that started to vibrate violently. Screaming filled the air far away as some kind of wave rolled down a hill at the top of the wedge. It was so high that it topped many of the trees as it came roaring down. The wave eventually hit the seawater when it had cleared the wedge. And it hit the water so hard that it rippled over to their side of the beach. The group sat there, clinging to their possessions, as they stared at where the wave had come from.

"The hell was that?" Bianca grumbled from her bread. The canon fired. Finnick's eyes narrowed on the hovercraft that swooped down to the washed out wedge to pick up the tribute's body.

"No idea." He responded, mouth full.

"Tick-tock." Wiress said. They all looked back at her as her eyes widened. Her arm yanked up and she swirled it full-circle around them. "Tick-tock." She repeated.

"She's insane." Johanna spat. Adam glanced at her and smiled.

"Good to see you've still got your flare." He murmured. Johanna grinned faintly.

"Never left, Fire-Boy." She said teasingly. Wiress grabbed her Katniss's wrist.

"Tick-tock." She told her. When everyone stared at Wiress in confusion, Katniss's didn't. It looked like she was piecing it together at last.

"Katniss?" Peeta called when she stood to her feet.

"Tick-tock." Wiress said again. Katniss marched forward and scanned the arena, turning in a circle as she did so. Her eyes widened.

"Tick-tock." She repeated.

"Great. Oh, that's just great. Now she's gone mad, too!" Johanna grunted, dropping her hands to her sides with an irritated sigh. Katniss looked at her alertly.

"No. Tick-tock. This is a clock." She said. She gestured to the arena in a swift movement. "_This_ a clock! The arena! The arena is a clock!" She exclaimed. Peeta dropped the shellfish he was holding as realization spread over his face. Of course. It was complete clockwork. Even Plutarch Heavensbee, the Head Gamemaker, hinted it when he spoke to Katniss before the games. He pointed at his watch, that had the Mockingjay symbol in it, and said _'It starts at midnight'_. It was true. The tolling had started at midnight and sounded twelve times. With each hour, each sector presented a different horror, and then the cycle repeated twice in a day. The lightning, blood rain, the fog, the monkeys, the tidal wave, and everything else that the arena must have been holding for them. They slowly pieced this together as they sat on the beach, eating and packing away their supplies.

"We're running low. We should head out to the Cornucopia, seeing as it looks safe enough." Finnick said, gesturing to the structure further away from their shaded beach.

"Yeah, I don't see the Careers anywhere." Adam grumbled, hauling Peeta up to his feet. The group headed off to the Cornucopia with alert eyes, jumping at every sound or movement. Once they arrived, Wiress sat down looking relieved that her theory was finally understood. She wasn't as crazy as everyone thought. She began singing to herself happily. Johanna, despite her wound and her hatred for whatever Wiress was singing, was the happiest she'd been since her arrival at the arena. There were axes left and right for her to hold onto. And Finnick was greeted with a beautiful array of tridents. Peeta sat down with Katniss and Bianca, drawing out the arena in the sand.

"The lightning was here, the blood-rain was here, the fog, the mutts and the tidal wave was just over there." He uttered, drawing in the details they needed.

"Did anyone else see any other unusual stuff?" Katniss asked, looking up at the rest of them.

"Not really." Adam replied with a shrug. Katniss turned back to the diagram.

"Anything could be in those other sectors." She murmured, consumed with thought. Peeta dropped his stick suddenly, looking up at her with his mouth dropped slightly. "What? What is it?"

"Katniss… what about here?" He asked, pointing to the ground. "What about the Cornucopia?" Katniss's eyes widened as he said this. Finnick, Johanna and Adam returned to them, weapons handy.

"Maybe… maybe there isn't anything." Katniss said hopefully, glaring back at him.

"I hope so." He muttered.

"There shouldn't be." Finnick said boldly, twirling a trident in his fingers. "People don't really care about the center of a clock. They only care about what it points to." He shrugged. Katniss nodded for a moment, before she realized something. Wiress had stopped singing. Back in District 12, when the canaries in the coalmines stopped singing, that meant there was bad air. Katniss didn't even stop to think about it, she knew instantly that it was the Careers. She turned swiftly and pulled back at arrow just in time to catch Gloss letting Wiress fall to the ground with her freshly slit throat. Katniss's arrow plummeted into his right temple as Johanna tossed an axe into Cashmere's chest.

Enobaria appeared seemingly out of nowhere, ambushing them from the opposite direction. She tackled Katniss, and wrenched her bow right out of her hands before tossing it into the water. Katniss tried to regain some control but Enobaria slammed her fist into Katniss's jaw, splattering blood against the side of the Cornucopia. Just as she was about to slice Katniss's throat open, Peeta dug his knife into her waist. It stabbed through the belt and made the purple liquid burst and spray into both of their eyes. Enobaria and Peeta backed away with their hands clawing at their faces. Reacting to Peeta's injury, both Bianca and Finnick bolted forward to protect him. Bianca grabbed him by his shirt and shoved him against the Cornucopia, with her hand firmly on his chest. She had her knife out as she stood in front of him. Katniss looked up at her, confused. Enobaria started running blindly in the direction of the jungle. Finnick went to attack her but Cato's spear launched into his leg, sending him crashing right into Johanna and knocking them both over. Johanna squirmed at the pressure on her wound as Finnick grasped his own. Johanna and Finnick were injured, Peeta had the purple liquid in his eyes, Katniss was seeing stars, Beetee was somewhere in the water and Wiress was dead. The dream-team was not in good condition.

Adam raced towards Cato, who was distracted by Enobaria's sudden abandonment, and slammed the spears clear out of his hands. Cato jolted to get away from him but Adam grabbed him by his tracksuit and slammed him against the side of the Cornucopia. Just as Cato was about to dart away again, Adam's sword pressed to his neck. Cato held still as he stared down at the weapon, nearly cutting into his skin. The arena fell silent fast. Their gazes turned to where Cato and Adam stood. Their blue eyes held cascading glares, breathing heavily.

"What are you waiting for? Just kill him already!" Finnick cried from the ground, trying to haul himself up.

"Just do it, Adam!" Johanna ordered. Adam panted like an animal. He pressed the blade harder against Cato and a choking noise came out of his lips. The Capitol drug in Adam was driving him to insanity, but there was a part of him that recognized Cato. Something in his blind system was telling that this was Cato Thornup. He was the one who spared you in the last Hunger Games. He saved your life on the hovercraft. He stayed with Bianca for six months and was her friend. He fixed the portal for you. He was just a boy. A heartbroken, lonely, stupid boy. Adam's sharp breathing slowed to deep, long breaths as he stared up at Cato, still pressing the weapon against him. "Kill him!" Johanna screamed in fury from the sand. Adam licked his lips, tightening his grip on the handle. Cato's jaw dropped with a soft wheeze as he pressed against the Cornucopia harder and tilted his chin up.

"Just get it over with." Adam heard him say. He stared at Cato, struggling with an inner turmoil.

"Cato." Adam uttered. Cato swallowed so hard that Adam felt it against the blade. "Cato, I need to tell you something." He said. He watched as Cato's eyes travelled down to his face for a moment in anticipation.

"Adam, just kill him already for crying out loud!" Finnick grunted through his teeth.

"No! I have to tell him s – " Out of nowhere, the ground beneath their feet shook. Finnick took this opportunity to ignore the pain in his leg and bolt for his trident. Adam dropped the sword in his hands and shoved Cato away from the Cornucopia before Finnick could stand. "Run!" He ordered. Cato glared at him, wondering just why Adam would spare him like that. "Cato, just run!" He shouted again as the island they were standing on began to spin. Cato shot Adam one last glance before he stumbled away and dove into the water. The island jerked again, sending all the standing tributes to the ground. The island started spinning, and it started spinning fast, really fast. They dug their limbs into the sand to stop themselves from being spun into the water. There was nothing else to do but exactly this.

The canon went off three times for Wiress, Gloss and Cashmere. The sand was like a whirlwind around them, getting in their eyes, mouths and sending all loose items into the water, including their supplies and the three dead bodies. Then the island slammed to a halt, leaving Finnick's group in a queasy daze with churning stomachs. They slowly sat back up dizzily, blinking and groaning. Katniss's eyes refocused on a body paddling towards them. It was Beetee. Katniss was the first to stand, despite her dizzy and bloodied state, and hauled him out of the water. She noticed him muttering something about Wiress and his wires. Katniss caught Wiress's body floating out towards a hovercraft and without a second thought, she jumped into the water, going to save Beetee's prized weapon. Adam tried to stand next but before he could, someone beat him to it and tackled him. He grunted as he hit the sand hard and the body above him pinned him down. It was Finnick.

"Why did you spare him?" He shouted, slamming Adam's arms into the ground.

"Wait, I – what?" Adam grumbled, still jumbled up from the spinning. Finnick brought a hand up.

"No! Fin, don't!" Johanna warned. Too late, Finnick swung at Adam's face, sending blood across the sand.

"Why did you spare Cato?" He pressed. Adam's neck craned forward, as blood dribbled from his nose and onto his lips. He had the darkest look on his face as his jaw tightened. Finnick's eyes became wide with realization.

"D'you wanna go?" Adam grunted. Finnick shook his head, remembering the drug Adam was on.

"No. No, Adam, I'm sorry I hit you. I really wasn't thinking, I was so angry." Finnick said. Adam tossed Finnick off his body and ran for his sword.

"Adam! Adam, stop!" Bianca commanded. He ignored her and grabbed the weapon, storming over to Finnick just as Katniss emerged onto the beach with Beetee's wire.

"Do you want to go, Finnick?" Adam bellowed.

"Adam!" Katniss shouted with a mouth full of blood, dropping the wire next to Beetee.

"Well do you?" Adam shouted. He rammed his elbow into Finnick's side, making him buckle over. He then kicked Finnick into the sand.

"We made an oath not to hurt each other, Adam! I'm didn't mean to break it like that but I'm not going to fight you!" Finnick reminded him desperately. Adam held the sword out, approaching him quickly. Bianca leapt away from the group and charged towards him.

"Adam!"

"Bianca!" Katniss snapped.

"Well. Someone's going to die." Johanna sighed carelessly. Bianca reached the two boys and shoved Adam at his shoulders. He glared at her, gripping his weapon tight.

"Hit me, I know you can!" Bianca grunted. Katniss's eyes grew wide at the suggestion. She quickly started shaking her head, unable to protest since her wound was swelling and her mouth was full of blood. Bianca shoved Adam again, making him groan in frustration as he gripped his weapon. "Come on! I know you can kill me so why don't you?" She taunted, shoving him a third time. Adam glared at her. His lips were shut tight as he breathed hard through his nose. His muscles were twitching, his eyes were focusing and unfocusing. He kept licking his lips as his thoughts paced back and forth in his brain. With a red face, he took one step back and began to raise his weapon, eyes locked on Bianca's face. Katniss, Finnick, Beetee and even Johanna sat up alertly. Bianca's eyes widened as Adam arm flexed and he swung. She braced herself for the pain, but the blade didn't even touch her. Adam turned and hurled it at the Cornucopia, roaring in anger. He breathed heavily through his teeth as the sword skidded into the sand.

He collapsed to his knees against the metal structure. He slumped forward and held his head in his arms in silence. Bianca's eyes were still wide and her heart was racing. If Adam had swung a couple more inches closer she'd be in the sand, choking on her own blood and looking just like The Joker. Adam twisted his hair in his fingers, letting out an agonizing groan. Bianca dropped to his side and placed a hand to his back. She rubbed him soothingly as he knelt there, covering his face.

"It's fine. You didn't hit me."

"I could've!" He cried in a strained voice, digging his nails into his neck.

"But you didn't. That's good." She said softly. She reached up for his hands, trying to release the death grip he had on the back of his neck. Adam suddenly looked up, breathing out shakily. His face was bright red as he placed his palms against the Cornucopia. He shut his eyes, shaking his head. "See?" Bianca murmured, running a hand over his shoulder. Adam gulped and nodded, lips still chattering. "It's fine." She said, playing a kiss on his bicep. He looked up at her, opening his watery blue eyes. His mouth trembled open.

"It's... fine." He repeated, with a single nod. Bianca smiled faintly and leaned forward.

"It's fine." She said again, patting his back. Adam grinned a bit through the tears, and wiped away the liquid on his cheeks, nodding again.

"Okay." He said, sniffing. "Okay." He held onto the slippery walls of the Cornucopia and hauled himself to his feet. Bianca followed, holding onto his arm as they walked away from the area. She parted from him and sat down with Katniss, Johanna and Beetee, who were observing Peeta's red eyes. Adam stood by Finnick, who was still frozen in the sand with a bitter expression on his face. They looked at each other, exchanging unsure glances. Then Adam held a hand out to him. Finnick examined it with a look of suspicion before smirking and taking it. Adam pulled him up and shook his hand violently with a grin.

"Never again." Finnick said, pointing at him. Adam swatted the finger away.

"Never again, Fin." He confirmed. The two of them walked back to the group just as Peeta regained his sight. But when he did, he realized he didn't even want to.

"You're hurt." He murmured, touching Katniss's cheek softly.

"I'll be all right. It's just the inside of my mouth." She said. The inside of her cheek was raw from Enobaria's hit, that caused her teeth to burrow into her own flesh. Peeta kissed her forehead lovingly and looked up. His eyes widened.

"The spinning. It's ruined everything." He said instantly, standing upright.

"How so?" Finnick asked. Peeta rushed over to where his diagram was. It was gone already. He checked for the footprints of Cato and Enobaria, but they were washed away too. Peeta turned and turned, searching.

"Everything about this arena is identical. How're we supposed to know which way is which if they've spun us with no way of tracing back?" He asked. Their faces distorted at Peeta's point. They all looked around, trying to identify each sector. They all looked the exact same. Every wedge was uniform.

"Well, this sucks." Johanna said to break the silence.

"You got that right." Finnick huffed. Katniss licked her lips, realizing how dry her mouth had become because of the the sand and saltwater.

"We've got to get to fresh water." She said. They looked up at her, knowing that she was correct. Each of them were parched and lifeless, even if the battle with the Careers was short-lived. "We're going to have to go back into the jungle."

"Without direction?" Johanna snorted. Katniss shot her a glare.

"We don't have a choice." She spat. Johanna bitterly struggled to stand upright, and began limping towards Finnick.

"Well, then. One of us has to pick and choose. You better have a good sense of direction." She grumbled. Without further ado, the group chose a random sector and made their way through it. The jungle seemed friendlier there. There were no monkeys, and no odd clouds or fog hovering around. And no rumbling either. But that only opened them up to eight more horrors in store for them. It wasn't a comforting thought but it was better than the corrosive fog that made them look so disgusting. It was only here, when they started tapping the tree to get the water, when Katniss began to retrace their steps. She found an odd pattern. The way Finnick swam to get Peeta off his platform. How Finnick restarted Peeta's heart when he hit the force field. How Mags walked into the fog so Finnick could carry Peeta. The morphling who hurled herself in front of the mutt. Finnick taking Cato's spear to his leg. Bianca shoving Peeta against the Cornucopia, standing in front of him with her weapons out.

Katniss stopped in her tracks, eyes widening as she began to piece everything together slowly. For some reason she couldn't explain, she started to think that perhaps the other tributes were trying to protect Peeta. She didn't know why, or if it was true. But all the reasons leading up to this idea made perfect sense. But why? Why would they be protecting him? Katniss looked at Finnick, who was tapping a tree up ahead. And then at Johanna, who was making Peeta draw up another map on a leaf so they don't risk getting hurt. And even Bianca, who for some odd reason had her back to Peeta, and held her knives tightly in her hands, watching the area around him. They were. They were protecting him. Getting him water, making maps, risking injuries, standing guard. They were protecting Peeta, and Katniss hadn't been informed at all.

"You all right?" Came a voice near her. She jumped and turned to see Adam leaned against a tree. "You looked scared." He commented.

"No, I was just rethinking the clock theory. When I think really hard I guess I zone out." Katniss lied in defense. Adam grinned a bit and nodded.

"Me too." He said, looking back at Finnick, who sighed in relief. Katniss glared at Adam for a moment. He was oblivious to everyone's 'Protect Peeta' organization. Why wasn't he informed either? And what about Beetee? Did he know as well? And did Wiress?

"I think I've got it. Anyone have a spile?" Finnick asked, looking around. Just as the words left his lips, the most high-pitched, chilling scream rushed through the air. And in that very moment Katniss dropped whatever she was holding and bolted in the scream's direction. She had to save her. The voice. She recognized it in a heartbeat.

"Katniss?" Peeta called in confusion.

"Prim!" Katniss screeched. "I'll be right there! It'll be okay just stay where you are, Prim!" She yelled, slashing through the trees. Finnick's eyes sharpened.

"I'll follow her, you guys stay here." He muttered, stepping forward as he adjusted the sheath across his chest.

"But, Finnick, your leg." Beetee warned. Finnick shrugged.

"I'll be fine." He muttered, stalking after Katniss with an uneven jog. They watched as he, too, disappeared into the bushes and after the screaming tribute.

"Why was she calling for Prim?" Adam asked. Peeta swallowed hard and shook his head.

"No idea. She isn't in the arena. That's not possible." He responded slowly, just as confused as the rest of them. Adam pulled his knife out of its sheath and glanced at Johanna.

"You're not serious, are you?" She muttered, half-laughing.

"What? Not serious about what?" Peeta asked alertly, turning his gaze to the two of them. Adam sighed, and began to step forward.

"Look, I just want to see what's going on, alright?" He grunted, shrugging.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Beetee asked as Adam turned his back to them and maybe his way over to where Finnick and Katniss disappeared to.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Adam said reassuringly.

"Okay." Peeta nodded once, watching Adam carefully as he approached the clearing. Adam swiftly moved a branch back, looking around, when suddenly the arena fell deadly silent. He glanced back at the group just meters behind him. And when he spoke, they couldn't hear a word he said.

"What?" Johanna called. Adam frowned, taking a step away from the trees and towards them. He repeated his sentence, but once again, there was nothing.

"How come we can't hear anything, he's clearly saying something." Peeta uttered, pushing himself off the tree. Adam raised an eyebrow, looking between the three of them. "Adam?" Peeta called again. Adam pointed to his ears and shook his head.

"He can't hear us either." Bianca murmured. "What's going on?" She asked, looking up at Peeta and Johanna from her spot on the ground. They both gaze a one-armed shrug of confusion. Adam continued stepping towards them till his feet, nose and forehead collided with an invisible force. For a second he thought it was a forcefield, but it was a wall. A see-through wall. One that absorbed all sound on either side of it. Adam knocked on the wall, and Peeta knocked back, but neither heard each other. They stared at each other in confusion before Adam snapped away, hearing something in the trees. Peeta turned away as well, scratching the back of his head.

"That's weird. It's not a forcefield or anything." Beetee said, as Peeta made his way over to them again.

"What the hell is it then?" Bianca asked impatiently.

"I don't know. I don't get why they'd need it though. Seems pointless." Johanna grumbled, slumping down to the ground.

"Yeah, absolutely." Bianca responded.

"Strange." Beetee said, focused.

"Guys." Peeta uttered in a small voice. They looked up at him, seeing the worry plastered to his face. He hesitated with his next sentence. "Guys, something's going on over there." He murmured. Beetee, Johanna and Bianca followed his gaze back to where Adam was, to see him now breathing heavily and licking his lips nervously. He twitched, bringing his hands up by his ears for a second before pulling away. Then it happened again, shaking his entire body this time as he turned around, scanning the trees. He looked alert. Or petrified, like he'd seen a ghost. "Something's happening to him." Peeta said, pulling out his knife. Adam turned to them, now staring at them with wide, desperate eyes.

"Adam?" Bianca muttered. He ran forward, skidding to a halt by the invisible wall. He began banging his palms against it, glaring at them and shouting.

"What's he saying?" Peeta asked, staring at him. Johanna peered closely at his lips, mimicking Adam's lips silently. She sighed and settled back against the tree.

"Let me out." She repeated casually. They turned back to him, reading putting those words on his lips.

"Let me out! Let me out!" He was shouting it over and over, glancing back every now and then. "Let me out!" They could tell by the strain on his neck that his voice was growing louder, but they couldn't hear a thing. Suddenly, his arms started banging furiously against the wall, now frantic.

"Oh, man." Bianca pulled herself to her feet as Peeta swung his knife at the wall. Adam backed away, letting him do it. But with each swing nothing happened. Adam glanced back at the trees, with his head snapping in several directions one after the other. "Jesus, what's happening over there?" Bianca asked through her teeth. Adam took a step back and looked like he was about to run for them again, but his knife fell right out of his hands and his body twisted, collapsing to the ground.

"Adam!" They stared as his hands clasped over his ears and he fell to his knees, rocking forward. His eyes were wide. The veins on his neck stuck out as he screamed till his face went red.

"What's happening? What's happening to him?" Bianca asked desperately, now with her heart racing wildly in her chest. Adam looked like he was about to start convulsing, or like he was about to rip his ears off. Katniss and Finnick broke out of the clearing, having the same reaction as Adam. Their faces were red and it looked like they were both screaming as well. They looked terrified as they bumped against the invisible wall, swinging their limbs at it, trying to break free.

"Katniss?" Peeta breathed, watching as both she and Finnick fell by Adam's side, cradling themselves against the invisible wall. "Katniss!" He said alertly, dropping to one knee in front of her just as Bianca did. They continued to thrash and squirm on the ground, flailing like mad. At the same time, both Peeta and Bianca pressed a hand against the wall. They glanced at each other, frowning at how synchronized their actions were. They both looked back at them. Katniss had her palm pressed desperately against the wall to Peeta's, and Adam's fingers were trembling against Bianca's.

"Adam..." She whispered, watching him with stinging eyes. She'd never seen him in so much pain before. Not when he was whipped, and not even when he was burned during last year's games. It looked like they were all on the verge of exploding. The seconds turned into minutes. Many of them. After some time, Adam and Katniss fell sideways next to Finnick, huddling up on their own, curling into a ball on the jungle floor. Johanna, Beetee, Peeta and Bianca waited in silence, staring at the other three tributes who writhed helplessly for whatever reason. Bianca's head hung low as she stared down at her fidgeting hands, unable to watch Adam in pain any longer. She felt warmth of someone's hand on her shoulder and looked up into the bright eyes of Peeta Mellark. Funny. His eyes were similar to Adam's. Bianca never had the time to notice. Peeta smiled weakly and gave her a single nod. The gesture only made Bianca admire him even more. It was just the way he cared about everyone more than himself. Seven months ago, Bianca would've never thought twice about other people. In fact, she'd probably be one making fun of him, and everyone else around her in that very moment. That was why he was her mission. Because he deserved to survive more than the rest of them. Even herself. Bianca returned the nod feebly, staring at him, only thinking of her mission. She leaned forward by his ear.

"You don't have to worry." She said to him. She pulled away and viewed his bewildered expression. Peeta shook his head, confused. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, cries filled the air. They jumped and glared at Adam, Finnick and Katniss. The cries matched their lip movement. Peeta swung a hand out in front of him to discover that the wall was gone. He quickly scrambled over to Katniss, heaving her limp body onto his lap and cradling her against his chest. Bianca rushed over to Adam. She pulled his torso up so that his head rested on her lap. She stroked the side of his face and hair, filled to the very top of her being with worry and despair. After a moment of listening to the three of them sobbing uncontrollably, Katniss finally spoke.

"There were screams." She uttered against Peeta's chest.

"What kind of screams?" He asked softly.

"Prim. My mother. Gale. Madge. Everyone." She said. Peeta raised an eyebrow unsurely. Katniss's fingers dug into his shirt, pulling herself closer to him. "Finnick heard someone too. And so did Adam. Lots. There were so many of them." She whimpered. Peeta looked up at Bianca, who gazed back at Finnick, then back at Adam.

"What do you mean, Katniss?" She asked softly. "Who's 'them'?" Katniss turned away from Peeta's chest, pressing her forehead against his neck as her fingers trembled over her lips.

"Jabberjays." She gulped.

"They're just birds, Katniss. They make noises."

"No, Peeta, it was them!" Katniss protested. "It was really, really them! Jabberjays are birds that mimic what they hear! So if they screamed like all those people then where did they get those screams from, Peeta? It was them. It was really them." She ended softly, falling against him again as she continued to sob. Peeta looked up at Beetee.

"Is that possible, Beetee?" He asked. Beetee gave him a long and hard stare before sighing.

"Yes and no." He began. "Of course Jabberjays mimic what they hear. But it's also possible for them to manipulate someone's regular voice and turn it into a scream. Like the ones you heard earlier." He explained. Peeta smiled briefly and looked down at Katniss, curled up in his arms.

"You see, Katniss? It wasn't really them screaming." He said slightly cheerfully. Katniss shook her head briskly.

"It was too real to be manipulated, Peeta." She breathed. Peeta sighed and pulled her against him, shutting his eyes as he rocked her back and forth slowly. Finnick stood abruptly, running his hands over his red face. He sniffed loudly and shook his head.

"We have to keep moving." He announced. Bianca jumped as a hand gripped her wrist suddenly. She looked down to see Adam's hand clamped down on her in a death grip.

"Shh, it's okay, it's okay." She muttered, stroking his hair again even as he did his face from her. His grip on her loosened slightly, but he was too afraid to let go.

"Yeah, we should get moving." Johanna agreed, standing to her feet. "Did you drop all your things back there when you ran? The weapons? And the spile?" She asked Finnick. He nodded.

"Yeah, in the clearing." He said, gesturing to the place they came running from. Johanna nodding, stepping past him. Katniss snapped up suddenly, grabbing her hand.

"Johanna, don't go in there!" She warned. Johanna bitterly shook her off.

"I'm not like you guys." She grunted, with a look of disgust on her face. "I have no one left to love." She uttered, storming off into the greenery. It was true. The Capitol had taken everything and everyone from Johanna because she refused to go along with their plans. She was alone. Everyone was dead. There was nothing left for her. Only Adam, Blight and Finnick knew this, after all the time they spent together as cellmates.

"Adam." Bianca called softly, rubbing her thumb against the top of his hand. His lips shivered open.

"I heard Drew. A-and Clare, and Eli, and mom and dad." He listed, still unfinished. Bianca bit her lip, watching as he struggled to remember. "And - and - and there were so many at the same time, I just couldn't keep track and -"

"Adam." She interrupted, grasping his hand. "It's okay. It wasn't them." She reassured him. She tried prying Adam's fingers off his face and her wrist but he just wouldn't let go. He wouldn't let her see him cry. Bianca licked her lips, holding Adam's hand soothingly. "It's okay. It's over now."


	6. Threads

Revival

**Chapter 6: Threads**

Adam winced as his eyes peeled met the bright midday sun. He rolled onto his front with a groan of of irritation. After a moment of hibernating on his own, he turned back and slowly opened his eyes again. His pupils refocused on Johanna, who was in the sand, huffing and wheezing with a pained expression. Finnick and Katniss were knelt down beside her, saying nothing. Adam sat up, alerting them.

"Is she alright? What's going on?" He asked hoarsely, starting to crawl towards them. But before either of them could answer, Adam found the problem. Johanna's pants were sliced open wider and her wound was worse than any of them had imagined. Her flesh looked like it was decomposing. Heavy amounts of both blood and pus covered the two deep punctures, and oozed down into the sand. Johanna had blood poisoning, already radiating high up her thigh. Adam scrambled over to Katniss and Finnick's side, glaring down at the injury. Finnick shook his head once as his lips shivered open.

"We've done everything we can." He uttered morbidly. Adam glanced up at him with helplessness in his eyes before giving Katniss that same look.

"Katniss?" He asked, hoping for some moral support, or just anything positive in general. But she only grimly shook her head. Adam looked back down at Johanna desperately. She could barely focus on staying awake.

"We tried to stop the blood poisoning hours ago, but…" Katniss trailed off, running low on her will to speak. Adam licked his lips and took Johanna's shaking hand.

"Johanna." He said firmly. Her trembling fingers gave his a squeeze. Her face was greyish, and her eyes looked like they were burrowing deep in their sockets, outlined with dark circles from lack of sleep. She looked like a morphling near the end of her time. Adam swallowed hard, speaking as clearly as he could. "You'll be alright. I know you." He breathed, trying to convince himself more than anyone else. A quick smirk flashed on Johanna's chattering lips as she turned her gaze onto him.

"Sure, Thirteen." She stammered finally. Adam grinned as well.

"At least you still have your sarcasm." He said.

"We should let her rest. Maybe she'll heal faster that way." Finnick mumbled. There was a heavy amount of doubt in his voice, and even on his face. Katniss nodded, patting Adam's shoulder. They let Johanna try to get some rest as the waited for the others to wake up. When they did, they pestered them for more ideas on how to help Johanna but none of them could come up with anything drastic. All they could do was wrap her wound in moss and create makeshift crutches for her in case she had to stand. Adam and Bianca sat by the edge of the water, watching the waves come up in ripples and crash on the shore. Bianca looked back at Johanna, who was huffing and whimpering meters away. Despite how much Bianca, and many others, despised Johanna she couldn't help but feel genuinely worried about her state. Bianca turned back, chewing her bottom lip nervously. Adam sighed softly, looking down at his hands.

"She knows she's not going to make it to the morning." He said. Bianca glanced at him. "I can tell. She knows how bad it is, her wound." His face was riddled with depression and anger. Bianca knew that he'd do anything to save his Special Assistance cellmate. Both Johanna, Adam and Finnick stayed together for months in that cell. They were like second family. And now one of them was dying and she was dying fast.

"Maybe things will turn around." Bianca suggested hopefully. Adam bit the inside of his lip and shook his head. "You don't think so?" She asked. Adam ran his tongue on the inside of his cheek before sighing. He sat forward and rubbed his hand over his lips.

"I don't really want to think about it anymore, I'm sorry." He murmured. Bianca nodded softly and placed a comforting hand on his back, running it up and down in soothing strokes.

"Don't worry too much." She told him. Adam nodded slightly, glancing up at her. He tried grinning but it faltered almost immediately. He stared back at the waves just as Beetee gasped behind them.

"I've just figured out how we can eliminate our competition!" He announced. Finnick turned in the sand, with an eyebrow raised. He spun himself to face Beetee, and crossed his legs.

"Well, Volts, care to share?" He grumbled, only vaguely interested.

"Okay," Beetee began excitedly, "Where's the safest place in the arena?" He asked. Finnick chuckled for a moment, wondering if Beetee was being serious.

"The beach?" He shrugged.

"Precisely! So, if this is the safest place then why aren't the other tributes here? Because we're here, aren't we? We're occupying it, so they're staying far away from us. Now, if we were the other tributes and we couldn't access the beach, where would we go?" He asked, leaning forward. Adam and Bianca turned around, removing their feet from the water as they joined the conversation.

"The edge of the jungle, maybe?" Peeta suggested. Beetee nodded.

"Exactly! So if we move from the beach, and leave it unoccupied, what's going to happen to the beach?" He asked. Katniss and Peeta glanced at one another unsurely, before looking back at Beetee.

"The others are going to occupy it?" Bianca shrugged, squinting.

"Yes!" Beetee said, grinning widely as if they'd reached his expectations. "And here's how we're going to take advantage of that." He reached to his side and pulled out his prized golden wire that he'd been protecting. "Here's a wire I invented back in District 3. If we want to eliminate the other tributes, we're going to have to use the arena as our weapon along with it. Now, my plan is to hook this wire up to that lightning tree over there and run it along the beach into the water, which is highly conductive. So when the lightning strikes the tree at 12 o'clock, the electricity will run along the wire and shock anyone in the water or near the edge of the beach. Therefore eliminating everyone within its reach. Which won't be us." He explained. By then, the rest of them were staring at him with their eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "What'd you say?" He asked, finishing finally with a hopeful grin. They stared at him with blank expressions. All were processing his words slowly, piecing it together. Katniss's face lit up when she understood.

"That's a great idea, Volts." She muttered. Beetee gave her a small bow, before looking at the rest of them. Peeta shrugged before he looked up as well.

"I don't see the harm in trying. Besides, we could always hunt lots of stuff in the jungle. Right, Katniss?" He asked, turning to her. She nodded quickly, looking at Finnick and Johanna for confirmation. Johanna, though she barely looked like she was awake throughout Beetee's plan, nodded.

"It's a good plan." She uttered. Finnick nodded as well, boldly, as if he'd been on the same page as them all along.

"We should try it out. Definitely no harm." He agreed. He looked sideways at Bianca and Adam, giving them a nod, "What about you, Thirteen?" He asked. They looked at one another before nodding as well.

"I think we should give it a go." Adam said. Beetee's grin widened smugly and his cheeks flushed.

"Good. Then I'll just go over it again on my own and set up what I can." He said, standing to his feet. He hobbled over to the edge of the water where he started mapping out a schedule into the sand. The rest of them peeled off their ruined skin and applied more of the fog ointment to their sensitive flesh. Johanna was getting worse with every hour that passed by. The gasping turned to choking, and her trembling became violent. Meanwhile, Beetee began to sort everything out. He first hooked the wire up to the tree, and ran it into the water. Once he finished that, he established where they should be hiding at the time. He marked two places where the group will split up, both near the edges of the arena in stepping distance from the force field. Peeta, Bianca, Katniss and Johanna will be by the edge of the jungle, watching to see if everything goes according to plan. If not, they can signal Finnick, Adam and Beetee, who will be by the lightning tree waiting. Beetee also said that he checked the type of metal the Cornucopia was made out of and said it was a poor conductor, so driving their enemies away from sitting on the Cornucopia or hiding inside would be a wise precaution. When the plan was laid out and over with, Beetee decided to stay on the beach with Johanna, Peeta and Katniss while Bianca, Finnick and Adam volunteered to try the jungle for hunting. They took to the trees, weapons out and all senses alert. They trod the ground quietly, catching and killing whatever game they could. It was almost easy. Fun, even. There was laughter and smiles. They almost forgot that they were even in the games for a short amount of time. They all sat down together and ate. But it was hard to focus with Johanna wheezing in the sand near them. Her eyes were bloodshot red by then. She'd been staring at the sun for far too long. She might've been going blind.

"You should get some rest for tonight. I'll keep watch." Beetee said. His expression was dark and serious as he said this, looking back at the rest of them.

"I'll keep watch with you, Volts." Adam said, "I don't want you falling asleep on duty." He muttered. The rest of them settled behind them as they sat together by the waves. It was hard to keep talking. Any spark of a conversation was put out instantly with uninteresting replies or clashing opinions and personality. Beetee and Adam ended up not saying anything at all. They both looked out at the waves, wondering what life outside the arena was like. Beetee pictured District 3 rejoicing at his plan, praising him for his intelligence. Adam thought of home. He couldn't remember it so clearly anymore. Everything was a bit of a blur but he tried his best. He thought of the houses, the roads, the restaurants. Just Earth in general. All the places he'd never been. India, Hong Kong, London, Tokyo. And much more. All the things he'd never told people. The promise that he kept to Owen in the last games, to tell Tristan everything he said. There was so much left unfinished. And Adam feared that they'd always be unfinished. Forever. Suddenly, there was a ruffle in the bushes behind them. Both Adam and Beetee turned around sharply, glaring at the greenery as a figure slumped away into them. "Who was that?" Adam snapped alertly. Beetee scanned the tracks of the person until he reached one half of a pair of crutches.

"Johanna." He uttered. Adam raised an eyebrow, looking at the single crutch as well. Then it hit him. His eyes widened.

"She's leaving because she doesn't want to be around us when she dies." He said in realization. "God damn it!" He grunted under his breath, standing to his feet. The exclamation made Bianca jump awake. She fluttered her eyes open, blinking hard as Adam's figure came into focus.

"Hey..." Bianca muttered weakly, "Is everything all right?" She asked. Adam brushed off some of the sand on his body and rushed to retrieve his sword.

"Johanna's run off. Or, well, limped off." He said. Bianca frowned, staring at him.

"She's _what_?"

"Doesn't she know that one of these sectors is going to be a hellhole right about now and she's probably walked right into it?" Adam grunted in frustration.

"I think that's her plan." Beetee murmured. Bianca and Adam glanced back at him, then at one another.

"We need to go in there and get her." Adam said. It wasn't a suggestion, it was a command that left Bianca with an anguished expression on her face.

"Adam, we don't know what's in there. It's dark, it must be nearly midnight." She said, with words drenched in worry. When Adam looked at the wedge of jungle and didn't reply, Bianca pressed harder. "We can't screw up the plan."

"Johanna _is_ part of the plan!" He retorted briskly, turning to her. Both Bianca and Beetee were taken aback by his response. "And we can't leave her there on her own. Nobody deserves to die alone, not even her." He ended softly, staring directly up at Bianca, knowing that she and Johanna never got along. Bianca looked down at the sand guiltily and away from his gaze. "She's my friend." He struggled for a moment, "She's my friend and I'm going after her." He said, clearing his throat as he gripped his sword firmer. He glanced at Bianca coldly before turning away. "With or without you, Bianca." He uttered. She looked up at him, watching his back as he stalked off into the jungle after his Capitol cell mate. Bianca looked at Beetee, hoping for some comfort for defense, but he offered nothing. She sighed in frustrating and ducked to grab her knives.

"Adam." She breathed, "Adam, wait!" She called, hot on his heels as she chased him into the wedge. She crashed through the greenery till a hand came down on her shoulder. Her forehead bumped against Adam's as he held her still. His eyes were soft but his face was bitter.

"You should go back and keep watch with Beetee if you honesty don't care whether or not Johanna lives through this." He told her. Bianca slowly started to shake her head.

"No, Adam, I - "

"Really, B. I insist." He muttered, letting go of her as he turned back. Bianca grabbed him by his wrist, hauling him against her. Their faces were inches apart, and their bodies were pressed together as their eyes locked. Their breath met against their necks while they stared for a moment. Bianca's angry look was suddenly caring as she held onto him. Adam wore a confused expression as he stared back. "What? What is it?" He asked breathlessly. Bianca's eyes travelled over his face before a faint smile spread slowly on her lips. "What?" He snapped impatiently. Bianca looked at him curiously, then.

"You haven't called me 'B' in months." She said. Adam glared at her, conflicted by confusion and longing. Bianca smirked, putting Adam's hand on her shoulder as she watched some form of an old smile appear on Adam's lips as well. He peered at her like a hawk before feeling himself leaning towards her carefully. Bianca held her breath as she bit her lip and rested her hand on his shoulder. With racing hearts, they leaned towards each other. Focused, slow, soft. Just as their lips were about two inches apart, they both heard a far away gasp of pain. Their heads snapped away from one another. Adam's eyes widened.

"Johanna." He whispered, looking back at Bianca. She wore a clean cut look of disappointment. "Another time." He breathed, in the form of a promise. She nodded once, following him as he took out his sword and began cutting their way through the greenery in the direction of the noise. The branches came whipping at their forearms and cheeks, distracting them, but they continued to persevere through the thick sea of green. As they broke into a clearing, they saw what was left of Johanna's second crutch sprawled out and broken on the jungle floor. "Johanna?" Adam called, moving forward bravely. Bianca didn't think twice about following him this time. They ventured through the trees and bushes, slicing through them mindlessly. And at last, they came across a figure, slumped against a tree. "Jo." Adam huffed, dropping his sword immediately as he swung over to help her.

"You should've let me go, you idiot!" Johanna grunted, shoving him away instantly when he neared her. Bianca put her knives away into a black sheath at her waist, sighing grumpily.

"Just be grateful that someone cares about you enough to go after you." She grumbled, going to Adam's side to help Johanna as well. Johanna shot a glare at her, half disgusted, half stunned.

"Why're you here?" She hissed at her. Bianca pursed her lips tightly, about to snap at her when Adam placed a hand to her shoulder. He warned her not to with a single shake of his head. Johanna smirked, chuckling once from was tree she was leaning against. Both Adam and Bianca turned to her in confusion. "Ohh," She sighed, "You're here for him, of course!" She snorted. Bianca rolled her eyes and grabbed Johanna's arm firmly.

"No," She said firmly, increasing her grip, "_I'm_ here for _you_." She ended, hauling Johanna up. Johanna groaned in agony as her injured foot tried to steady her on the ground. Adam quickly took her other arm, putting it around his neck as well. He looked at Bianca with a sense of pride and admiration, smiling slightly.

"Come on, let's get out of here." He said, pulling Johanna along with Bianca.

"You shouldn't be doing this. You should just leave me." Johanna said. But both her vocal and physical protests were useless.

"We're not going to leave you so stop asking us to."

"But, Adam, don't you that think we should - "

"That we should what, Johanna? Huh?" He grunted, glaring at her as he stopped clear in his tracks, halting the three of them all together. He almost dropped her arm when he closed in on her face. "That we should what?" He asked dangerously.

"That we should accept it." Johanna spat, almost head-butting him with a short, impulsive lunge.

"Accept what?" Adam grumbled.

"You know what!"

"There's nothing to accept, Jo!"

"Yes, there is!" She whined.

"No, there isn't!" He defended.

"We have to accept the possibility of my death!" Johanna bellowed. The arena fell silent. You could tell that her phrase had cut right through Adam's heart like a jagged blade on fire. His eyes darkened as he quickly drew breath and tried to speak. He was wrenched of his words. His lips parted but nothing came out. Bianca looked between them, not wanting to intrude rudely for once. Johanna sighed impatiently, not knowing how harshly her words must have felt to him. Suddenly, Adam felt the words bubble up on his tongue at last.

"You're not going to die. And that's that." He uttered, pulling Johanna towards him as they continued forward. Bianca said nothing as they hobbled back to the beach. She could tell but the vacancy on Johanna's ill-colored face that she probably didn't have long. But Adam wouldn't hear it. He wouldn't stand for it. Not one bit. By the time they reached the beach, Johanna was practically asleep, snoring softly in their arms as they dragged her through the sand. They also noticed that Beetee had already made a bright fire, which should attract the other tributes towards them. And when they leave, the tributes will be bound to occupy the beach that way.

"Johanna's all right, then?" Beetee asked softly, not wanting to awaken the rest of their group yet.

"She's fine. Just tired." Adam said before Bianca could protest. They laid her down by Beetee side, making sure to be gentle not to wake her.

"We move out off the beach in fifteen minutes. Do you have everything you need?" Beetee asked. Adam gasped suddenly, patting his empty sheath at his waist.

"I left my sword back there when we helped her." He said. He shook his head, chewing on his bottom lip.

"I'll go back with you." Bianca suggested. Adam looked up at her, startled by her request.

"If you say so." He replied finally. Beetee looked alarmed by this.

"But, that's the - "

"We won't be long, Volts." Adam grunted carelessly. "Come on." He said, nodding at Bianca. She followed him back into the wedge, but this time, Beetee stood to his feet.

"Pst! You can't go in there! It's - "

"We'll be fine." Bianca hissed, glancing back at him. As she turned away, Beetee violently shook his head, running his hand over his neck in a slicing pattern that Bianca didn't catch. He couldn't raise his voice because of the sleeping tributes, and the dry, soreness in the back of his throat. He watched in horror as they ventured back into the jungle. When they were gone, he stared across the water with wide eyes. Adam and Bianca had just walked right into the ten o'clock wedge. And it was around nine o'clock. Beetee gulped hard, sitting down in the sand. He could only hope that they returned to the beach on time. Bianca and Adam traced their tracks back to the clearing, barely able to say a single word to one another after their close encounter with one another earlier. Bianca felt herself smiling foolishly at some point, just as Adam glanced back at her. He returned it sheepishly, feeling his ears redden as he turned forward to clear their path.

"What're you smiling about?" He grumbled.

"You know just what." Bianca snapped back, grinning a little wider. Adam did the same, watching the ground carefully.

"Maybe." He said. His face broke out in relief when he saw the glint of his blade, laying abandoned on the jungle floor. "There you are." He muttered, greeting the weapon as if it was a companion. He brought the long, dirtied blade up to his face and brushed off swabs of mud. He planted a quick kiss on the metal, looking satisfied with it as it slid back into its sheath.

"Gross." Bianca commented softly, raising an eyebrow at him. He looked back at her charmingly.

"Barely." He returned with a laugh. Bianca took a step towards him with her arms folded.

"Um? Kind of?" She cringed and shuddered. It only made him chuckle again.

"I really like my sword."

"Yeah, I've known that for quite awhile. Whatever happened to spears?" She asked with a shrug. Adam looked as if he trembled at the thought of it.

"Last years games... I'd rather not think about it." He explained softly. Bianca nodded, putting him under her typical, careful gaze. She understood him clearly. But, unlike him, she wasn't good at anything else. She couldn't throw a spear, launch an arrow, use a battle sword, trident or axe. She liked her little knives. They were efficient and handy. She didn't have a choice to swap. "Look, lets just go back to the beach, all right?" Adam said suddenly, breaking the silence. Bianca quickly nodded.

"Of course." She murmured. Adam caught up with her as they trailed back through their cut path. They entered a second clearing, and just as they were about to exit it, Adam heard the softest, smallest, little noise to their side. His hand thudded against Bianca's shoulder as he grabbed her mercilessly.

"Wait." He grunted, looking sideways sharply. Bianca knew that he must have picked up these tactics in his cell at The Capitol because she didn't hear a thing. Silence fell over the clearing as Adam and Bianca paused for several seconds before it happened again. And this time, Bianca heard it, too. It was a swift noise. Like a thin blade slicing through a silky fabric. Adam's eyes followed the noise towards the edge of the clearing, where the trees were thickest. He saw something fall from a branch. Half a leaf, cut diagonally down the middle. It fell to the jungle floor, next to a similarly cut leaf of a different size. Adam looked up again, staring at the trees. "Strange." He commented. At that, another good two or three leaves fell, now closer to them. This time he watched them being sliced clear off out of nowhere, then falling to the ground again.

"What's going on?" Bianca asked. Another six at least fell to the ground.

"Shh." Adam muttered, with a finger pressed to his lips. He stared ahead, perplexed by the sight ahead of them. Then he realized, it was happened all around the clearing. Leaves fell whenever there was noise. Why? He raised an eyebrow. "Something's not right." He said. It moved closer, now at a quicker pace, then disappeared again. The two of them stared, eyes wandering everywhere around the trees. Adam knelt down slowly, making the least amount of noise as possible, and grabbed a handful of dry dirt by his feet. He returned to his normal, upright stance, and brought his hand back.

"Adam, what're you doing?" Bianca hissed as he tossed the dry dirt ahead, just above the fallen leaves. As the dirt fell, that's when they saw the oddest thing. Lines. As thin as paper. Little threads, now visible from the dirt, arranged in a pattern in the air. There must have been hundreds of the stuff. Thousands, even. Adam's eyes widened as they moved forward as Bianca's sentence, now visibly slicing the leaves and branches as the moved. They both realized just what it was. This wasn't normal thread. Oh, no. This was something else entirely. It was slicing through anything in its path like a hot knife through butter. And it moved fastest towards noise. It was ten o'clock. They were in the wedge. And this was the ten o'clock horror. Something that followed your sound and sliced you to pieces in under a second. Bianca and Adam realized this at once, and glared at one another. They made the mutual, unspoken decision to remain silent. Beads of sweat began to form as they grew worried and uncomfortable. Their fingers began to tremble, their mouths were suddenly dry. Eyes focused, ears alert. But that's when Adam noticed something else. The threads were still moving towards them. Perhaps they got more and more sensitive to sound as time went on. Perhaps it was sensing their breath. Or even the flutter of their eye lashes. Perhaps it was going to get a lot worse. There was a heavy thud as the thread cut through a thick branch up ahead. It must have been about the size of Adam's bicep. Adam gulped hard and looked back at Bianca. They stared at one another. What were they supposed to do? Wait for it to slowly turn them into sushi? Or run? Run as fast as they could and never stop until they're safe in the water. They exchanged cascading glances, both shaking now with fear as their heartbeats raced even faster. What if the threads picked that up as well? Their heartbeats? What if it heard everything happened inside them in that very moment? Adam licked his lips nervously, looking up at her for some response. But instead, all she did was shiver nonstop, aching for an answer from him in return. When another heavy branch fell, now much closer to them, Adam felt his eyebrows raise. In a second, a small gasp escaped Bianca's lips and he grabbed her arm, bolting out of the clearing. Bianca faulted for a moment, still shaken from their nine o'clock discovery.

"Run!" Adam grunted, pulling her along with him as they darted through the trees and down their path. The threads picked up their pace, hearing their footsteps and everything else. They chased after Adam and Bianca, cutting everything down. Leaves, branches, bushes, trees, animals. Everything fell into the dirt in shreds. But then, the Gamemakers did something unforgivable. They cleared away the trail made by Adam and Bianca earlier, leaving them and a thick dead end of trees. Adam's eyes widened, as did Bianca's. How was that possible? Who would do that? Of course, they knew the Gamemakers to be cruel. But how could they have been this cruel? Bianca turned to Adam, staring at him as they heard the threads nearing them. She glared at him, he glared back. In a burst of near-death emotions, she pulled herself forward, and grasping Adam's collar she flung herself against him. She kissed him desperately for the first time in over half a year. Adam swung back by her force briefly, before grasping at her waist and holding her by her jaw. He kissed her back with such passion that Bianca felt her knees weaken in an instant. He backed her against a tree, planting kiss after kiss on her lips, holding her roughly as the threads approached them. His tough grip and their fiery passion slowed to something softer. They exchanged endless wet kisses, so intertwinned in each others body that you'd think they'd never find a way to unlock and disengage. And with fistfuls of clothing and hair, it was then, when all fell silent around the two tributes. It was an odd thing, silence. Adam paused in mid-kiss, removing his lips from hers before cautiously turning his head.

The threads. They'd slowed because of the quiet. He could still see them, meters away by then. He turned to Bianca as she rested both her hands on his collarbone, holding his shirt as she stared up at him, panting. Panem must have been bawling their eyes out by then. Or screaming, fangirling and passing out all over in the Capitol. Adam breathlessly pressed his forehead to Bianca's as he looked down into her eyes. He reached up with one hand and lightly touched Bianca's bottom lip with his thumb, holding her chin delicately. He leaned down again and pressed a careful kiss onto her lips, sweeter this time. Seven months. Seven of them. Painful memories, all leading this moment. The longing, the loss, the reunion, the change, the heartbreak, the realization, the avoidance, the _real_ reunion. At last. Everything had fallen into place. Everything felt normal again. Like Adam was back. And so was Bianca. Everything felt like such a dream as they stared at one another against the tree, caressing each other cautiously. But all was broken in a single second. Adam's eyes widened in horror, and a small squeak escaped his lips. Bianca opened her mouth to say something as her face flared with concern, but she couldn't.

Suddenly, Adam was pressed against her hard. Not with his lips, but with his hands. He shoved her against the tree, pinning her against it as he kept his feet as far away from her as possible. Bianca saw a spurt of blood pop by Adam's shoulder. No. _No_. The threads. They never stopped moving, they only slowed. And they were right at Adam's shoulder. A small gasp left Adam's lips as a thread whipped at the back of his knee. Cutting him very thinly. Bianca glared at him, starting to panic as she watched his face. The moment had turned into a devastating disaster in just seconds. Another gasp left his lips as blood shot from his other shoulder as the threads closed in on him. Adam continued to pin Bianca down, protecting her with his own body. Another thread slashed deeper as his knee, forcing a whimper out of him as he faltered briefly, making him jump. The jump gave him several wounds, and all Bianca could do was watch was blood trickled down Adam's back and dripped to the floor. He looked more stunned and horrified rather than in pain. As the threads pressed against him, Adam's face reddened with concentration and fear. His lips chattered open suddenly, and his grip on Bianca's shoulders loosened.

"Run." He mouthed. Bianca glared at him as he let go of her suddenly. His eyes indicated something behind her, and she saw that the Gamemakers had decided to reopen their path. They were so close to the beach. Bianca looked at him desperately. "Run." His lips repeated. "Please." He insisted. Bianca stared at him, already shaking her head as she watched the thin wires make him take a single step forward to avoid them. There were hundreds, thousands, all targetted on him. Bianca took a step back towards the path. "Run." He uttered, now audible. The wires caught onto his back again, making him cringe painfully. Leaves and heavy branches fell by Adam's side. Bianca felt herself starting to back away as a hand came down on her shoulder. She could've screamed but she clamped her fingers over her lips quickly. Katniss stood beside her with her signature bow and arrow clutched in her hand.

"Run." She mouthed as well, nodding back. She gave Bianca a bit of a shove. When she raised her bow, Bianca knew she must have gone after them, deduced what both she and Adam did, and had a plan. With her eyes locked on Adam's face, Bianca found herself retracing her steps and returning to the beach. She was shaking. What if Katniss's plan didn't work? How much pain was Adam already in?

"Bianca." Finnick breathed once she hit the sand.

"No, no, no, shh!" She whispered, even though their voices wouldn't count since they weren't in the wedge. They stared at the jungle as nothing happened. There was lots of nothing happening. Bianca waited, shivering as the greenery remained just as still as she was. Within the wedge, Katniss aimed carefully just above Adam's head, at a tree far away. Another bead of sweat drizzled down Adam's face as he took an unsteady step closer to her. She locked on her target, focused harder, and prayed that this would work. In a second, she let the arrow soar through the air. It snapped a branch and the wires seemed confused. Adam jerked forward suddenly, taking Katniss's shooting as a sign to go. Katniss wasn't sure why, but Adam yelped loudly in pain suddenly. No, he screamed, actually. Katniss's eyes widened, knowing that it'd set off the wires in their direction again. She grabbed Adam, who was bending over in pain, and started to run with him. She dragged him along, forcing him to keep up with her as branches and whatnot fell lifelessly behind them. They charged forward, occasionally feeling a cut on their heels and elbows. Adam was whimpering. He was hurt, badly. But how? He was silent earlier. Katniss, with a handful of Adam's shirt, dove forward when she saw what she thought could be sand. It was. The two of them landed face first onto the beach, cringing in fear of the wires. But they were gone.

"Are you alright?" Bianca breathed urgently. But a low, guttural scream echoed out of Adam's throat in return. Everyone paused and glared at him as the boy buckled forward onto his knees, pressing his forehead into the sand as he cradled himself. Katniss tried to comfort him by laying a soft hand on his bloodied shoulder, where the cuts weren't so deep. But Adam bolted away from them suddenly, scrambling through the sand as he bellowed in pain. Eyes widened when they saw a patch of dark, wet blood at his abdomen. "Adam! Oh my god!" Bianca rushed towards him as he collapsed to his side, clutching his stomach. But wasn't his stomach that was bleeding. When Bianca held Adam's wrist, his bloodied hand came up, shaking tremendously. It was sliced diagonally, right through, flesh, bones and all. Bianca shrieked in horror, staggering away from him. Adam was still screaming hysterically with a red face and tears streaming down his cheeks as blood splattered the front of his body. His hand was cut from the bottom of his wrist up to his ring finger. He'd lost his thumb, index finger, and middle finger, and his wound was gushing with hot crimson blood.

"Okay, okay, okay, get back! Get back!" Katniss shouted urgently, shoving Bianca away. "Finnick! Help me!" She ordered, crowding over Adam as he screamed and groaned frantically, shaking like a leaf on a windy day. He looked like he was about to start convulsing. Finnick dropped to her side and immediately pressed Adam down into the sand.

"Adam! Adam, hey, its okay!" He told him quickly. Adam's chest rose and fell as gasps for air tore through him. Bianca stared at his hand. It was ripped apart. Chopped in two. Gone. The blood was so heavy. Spurting out like a fountain. And his broken bones were visible, too. It was like watching a gore film come to life.

"I'm going to be sick." She uttered. And suddenly, she felt her knees become water, and her head become light. In a second, her mind blanked and she was facing the sky, slipping from consciousness.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for not updating! I've done it now, hope it's alright._


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